Third Time's a Charm
by liljdpegasuschic160
Summary: What if Phoebe hadn't stopped the wizard from taking the source's powers? How would that one event change the outcome of Phoebe & Cole's relationship? Alternate Series Ending. Seasons 4 to 8 AU Read, Review, & Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1: Destined Happiness

**Liljdpegasuschic160: **Ok, well this idea came out of nowhere really. I had no intention whatsoever to write another fic right now. I'm busy enough as it is, but I seem to enjoy getting as little sleep as possible nowadays. So, I was watching 'We're off the see the Wizard' the other day because I also seem to enjoy feeling depressed and crying. lol Anyway, I was thinking about how horrible the ending of that episode is, and decided to take matters into my own hands and fix it. Some would say 'Charmed and Dangerous' was the beginning of the downfall of Phoebe & Cole's relationship, but if you think about it, Cole needed to absorb the hollow to save the sisters and the world. The real problem was in this episode when Phoebe failed to save Cole, and for some reason, only God knows why, she listened to the stupid seer. This is how that episode should have ended, happily...

Read, Review, & Enjoy!

**Third Times a Charm**

Chapter 1: Destined Happiness

"_Malus into exitus omne"_

Pain.

First there was pain.

Pain and light, as the source's powers began to separate from his levitated body.

Faintly, as if in a dream, he heard the Seer's seductive voice attempting to manipulate Phoebe. His back was to them, but he could feel their presence. He could always feel Phoebe and he knew she was close.

"Save him," She said, just above a whisper, "For your son".

'_NO!_', Cole tried to shout, as his helpless limbs began to flail uncontrollably. '_It's a trick! She wants our baby for her own! Don't think for a minute that she cares about us!'_

No matter how he screamed on the inside, the words never seemed to form.

Phoebe watched as the wizard, with one hand outstretched, pulled what looked liked a life force out of Cole. She struggled with her reasoning, as she attempted to take it all in. Just an hour ago she had received the premonition that had confirmed the deep, suppressed suspicions she'd be having about him.

Cole was a demon.

Not just any demon.

Cole was the source.

He had lied to her. All this time, he had lied.

Now the Seer assured her that the only way to save the life of her love and her child, was to choose a side. Evil of course was what the Seer intended, but seeing Cole now made her remember why she had put herself in this position in the first place. She loved Cole, and nothing she could think of would ever change that. Hell, she just revealed him to be the source of all evil and her feelings for him were left undiminished.

She tried to trick her mind into hating him, to tell herself that he deserved to die, but despite her best efforts...

"Phoebe, what are you waiting for?" The Seer's voice brought her back with it's slightly edgier tone.

She scanned the scene once more, searching her mind desperately for the answer. She placed one hand lovingly on her abdomen, and looked down. Deep inside her was her son...their son, and she was not going to let the Seer tell her how to raise their child.

Phoebe knew from experience how it felt to be evil. Numerous times she had been forced to fight evil growing inside of her, and thinking back on those experiences she realized that that was something she never wanted her baby to have to go through.

The only way her family was going to survive was if they were all good. Cole had told her that once before. There was no such thing as evil love.

She had made her decision.

An earlier encounter had shown her that the Seer could not be affected by her power. At least her newest, demonic power.

If she could just distract her long enough for the wizard to complete the ritual and for help to arrive...

In one swift motion, Phoebe threw back her right arm and elbowed the Seer in the face, calling for Leo in the process. The seer fought back and the two continued to duel, when a cluster of bright lights began to accumulate on the other side of the room.

Moments later, Leo fully formed with Paige and Piper on either side. All looked stunned at the events playing out before them.

"Phoebe?" Piper asked, looking around slowly. "What's going on?"

"No time to explain," Phoebe answered, as her right leg swung back in a high roundhouse kick, hitting the Seer and sending her to the floor.

Noticing the wizard, Piper turned and raised her hands to blow him up.

"Whatever you do, don't hurt the wizard," Phoebe yelled, causing Piper to lower her hands.

"Why not? Phoebe he wants to Grimoire for himself."

"Just do what I say," Phoebe snapped, trying desperately to defeat the Seer, who much to her frustration, seemed mostly unfazed. "A little help here?"

Her request snapped Leo and Paige back to reality, but both were still unsure on how to handle the situation.

The source's power, almost completely separated from Cole, continued to illuminate the otherwise pitch black penthouse.

From the other side of the room, Phoebe could sense their hesitation and added, "We need a power of three spell to vanquish her. She said it herself."

One final kick to the head sent the Seer back to the floor where she stayed long enough for Phoebe to make her way over to her sisters.

The bright, transparent figure of Cole was now completely severed from his body, and as soon as it was free it infused itself in the wizard who began to convulse violently before falling to the floor. Cole collapsed along side him, seemingly unconscious.

Phoebe started for him, but both her sisters seized her arms, holding her back.

"Spell first, Cole later." Piper said, relaxing her grip on her arm.

Phoebe nodded and stepped back between her sisters, keeping their arms locked. Focusing and channeling all her anger toward the Seer, Phoebe began to chant a power of three spell.

"_Let us now your life erase_

_and see no future for your face_

_By the power of three we vanquish thee_

_and leave no memory in your place."_

In a burst of blinding, white light, the Seer vanished, leaving nothing but the pain and corruption she had caused.

As soon as the lights had faded, Phoebe released her hold on her sisters and ran to Cole, kneeling at his side.

"Cole? Cole!" Phoebe said, shaking him in a desperate attempt to wake him. "Leo," Phoebe looked up, her eyes pleading.

The whitelighter nodded firmly, and knelt down opposite her. His hands came to hover over Cole's chest, a golden light emanating from his palms.

The light faded when Cole let out a small gasp, attempting to sit up straight.

Phoebe aided his efforts, pulling him close to her in a tight embrace.

"Phoebe, I can't breathe," Cole said, in a strangled voice.

"Oh my God, did the ritual backfire?" she asked, holding him even closer.

"No, it's not that," he tried to continue.

"What, what is it?" Phoebe said, stroking his hair.

"Your holding me a little too tight."

Phoebe let out a relieved laugh and released her hold on him, her hands now finding a place to rest on his face. She stroked his cheek with her thumb. Her smile was full of affection and concern.

"I hate to ruin the moment, but where is the wizard?" Piper asked, her voice full of panic.

"And where is the Grimoire?" Paige continued, moving toward the podium that had held it minutes before.

"The wizard is The Source now," Cole said, rising to his feet. Phoebe stood at his side with one arm wrapped around his back, the other resting on his stomach.

He looked down at her, with sorrowful eyes.

"I'm so sorry Phoebe. I tried to tell you, but the Source he was overpowering, he forced me to..."

Phoebe stopped him with a small finger to his lips. "Now's not the time. We need to find the wizard before he finds a way to proceed with the coronation."

"Phoebe's right," Leo said, moving to Piper's side. "I mean, we already know how to vanquish the source, so that's not a problem. It's just..."

"Finding him that is.", Piper finished for him, crossing her arms over her chest. "Any ideas on where he went?"

It was a question for everyone to consider, but she had directed it mostly at Cole.

"He could be anywhere, but the underworld is definitely a good start. He'd want to preform the ceremony as soon as possible before anyone finds out that he's the source. That way when he revels himself he'll be far too powerful to stop, even if the factions try to challenge him."

"Ok, so we need to find him quickly.", Paige said, biting her lip and looking up in thought. "We could try scrying..."

"But we don't have anything to make the connection strong enough to find him quickly. Especially if he's in the underworld. It will make him all that harder to find."

Cole stepped forward and Phoebe released him, watching intently.

"When the wizard and I performed the ritual, we had to use our own blood. Maybe when we did some of his blood mixed with mine. You could use that to scry for him."

"Even if it did, it would've been trace amounts. It might not be enough to find him.", Leo said.

"Might means there's still a chance," Cole argued, giving Leo a hard stare. "Do you have any better ideas?"

"No, this may be our _only_ chance," Piper said, letting her arms fall to her sides. "But we need to create a spell of some sort because we don't have map of the Underworld to work with."

"Ok, well we'll figure this all out at the manor," Phoebe said, moving back to Cole's side. "Let's get outta here."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Got it!," Paige exclaimed, jumping out of her seat.

"What, you have an idea?," Piper asked, looking up from the Book of Shadows that lay draped across her's and Phoebe's laps.

They had been in the attic since they arrived home, searching vigorously for a solution to their immediate problem.

The room was mostly dark, except for a collection of assorted candles burning steadily on the waist high table in the middle of the room. Piper and Phoebe sat next to each other on the love seat, Paige until now sat on the red arm chair with Leo standing close by, observing their work intently. Cole separated himself from the group, pacing slowly past the windows. His eyes were cast downwards with his arms behind his back.

Paige made her way over to the table to grab the scrying crystal.

"No, I have a solution. We don't have a map of the Underworld right?," she said, not waiting for an answer. "Well, what if we created a map, and then used it to scry for the wizard?"

Piper pushed the book completely onto Phoebe's lap, and moved to stand next to Leo.

"What do youmean_ make_ a map? How will we make a map?"

"With a spell of course!" Paige said, taking the book from Phoebe and tucking it under arm.

"But first, we need Cole," A slight look of anxiety crossing her face, "After all, who knows the underworld better The Source?" She paused for a second then added, "Ex-Source," with a shrug, noticing the stern look on Phoebe's face.

"Are you suggesting some kind of memory projection spell?"

Cole entered the conversation when he realized he was involved, and moved up suddenly behind Paige.

"Precisely," Paige said, not even bothering to turn her head and acknowledge Cole.

"Can we do that?" Phoebe asked, looking to her husband.

Instead, Piper answered and stepped foreward, "I don't see why not. We've done crazier things in the past. Besides," she continued, grabbing a pen and pad off the table, "Our best work comes from improvisation. Come on", she said, helping Phoebe up, "let's go."

Once Phoebe was out of the way, she pointed to the seat, "Cole, lie down."

He did as he was told, even though the old, love seat was hardly big enough to accommodate his large frame. He did the best he could, trying to relax.

Phoebe moved to Piper's side, and as the two tried to write a spell, Paige took an athame to Cole's hand, covering the crystal with drops of his blood.

"Finished!" Piper said, holding the spell above her head.

Phoebe took the paper from Piper and moved to Cole's side,"I hope this works."

"Don't we all," Piper mumbled.

Taking his hand in hers, Phoebe began to recite the incantation.

"_Scrying secrets come to me,_

_so I may see his memory_

_to help us find our evil foe_

_for his location we must know"_

As soon as the last words were uttered, a short beam of white light shot out of Cole's forehead. Cole himself seemed unconscious, as the end of the beam widened to form a flat plane parallel to the ground. Soon, images began to form on the table of light. Three dimensional scenes appeared, moving images of demons, caves, and cages. It was as if they were looking down into a box full of miniature people in a town. In this case, demons in the underworld.

Paige took the crystal she'd been holding, and dangled it over the hologram, moving it around in small circles.

Surprisingly, the crystal dropped, and even more surprising, it didn't go right through the illusion. Rather, it landed with a thunk on a larger cave near the center of the map.

"Found it!" Paige said, memorizing their destination, so she could visualize it and orb her sisters there.

"Wow, that fast. That's a first." Phoebe, said looking at Piper with raised eyebrows.

"Yeah, well, let's just count our blessings. Paige, grab the sack to hold the Grimoire. Phoebe go get the protective crystals. We'll need them to contain him long enough for us to say the spell and vanquish him. The wizard will be using his illusions against us this time. We can't take any chances."

Both sisters nodded and did as they were told. Phoebe was halfway to the door when she realized something and turned back to Piper.

"Shouldn't we do something about Cole? We can't just leave him like that."

Piper observed her unconscious brother-in-law with slight disgust.

"Why not? He's less likely to get in the way. Besides, we've got enough problems already."

"Piper!," Phoebe commanded, one hand on her hip.

"Oh, fine!," Piper said with a roll of her eyes.

"_Scrying secrets were revealed,_

_leave us now please be concealed"_

Seconds later, the light hovering above Cole's head flickered out and he regained consciousness. Bringing a hand to the back of his head, he moaned, sitting up straight.

"Did it work?," He asked, looking around the room.

"As a matter of fact it did,"Paige cut in, entering, sack in hand "For once that demon brain of yours came in handy."

"Paige," Phoebe said, this time scolding her younger sister.

"What? I'm just stating the obvious. After all, we just discovered he's the source of all evil...or was...not that it makes a difference."

"Actually, it makes a big difference." It was Leo's turn to speak. "Without the source's power, Cole is human. He's an innocent. An innocent that needs your protection."

"Right," Paige said with a nod of her head, pursing her rose red lips.

Piper, sensing some tension, said, "Well then Leo, you can stay here and keep an eye on Cole while we go and kill the real source of all evil."

"Shouldn't we take Cole with us," Paige suggested, "After all, everyone down there still thinks he's the source, so we can use that to our advantage. They'll do whatever he tells them."

"I suppose so," Piper began, "But if they call our bluff, Cole will be stuck powerless and he'll be just one more thing we'll have to worry about. We have to focus all our attention on the Grimoire. Once we have that, we'll have the upper hand. The wizard will most likely come here looking for it, and when he does we'll vanquish his sorry ass. Although, it will definitely be a plus if we can get the book and vanquish him all in one trip."

"Piper's right," Phoebe said with a nod, "We can't risk losing Cole. I almost lost him once already, and once is enough for one day."

Cole rose to his feet and stood next to Phoebe, wrapping an arm around her back. Looking down into her eyes, he consoled her without saying a word.

"We still need to talk," She said quietly, placing a hand on his chest.

He nodded slightly, taking the hand and caressing the top of each finger with a calloused thumb.

"Once you vanquish the source we'll have plenty of time to talk. For now, just concentrate on stopping the wizard. We can deal with our issues later."

She nodded in agreement and broke their embrace to complete her task of gathering the crystal.

When it was finally time to go, Piper stood on Paige's left, holding her hand and the burlap sack filled with the protective crystals. Phoebe stood on Paige's right with an extra copy of the vanquishing spell tucked in her skirt just in case.

Cole looked solemnly into her eyes, then at her still flat stomach, then locking eyes once more said, "Be careful."

"Don't worry. I'll be back before you even have time to worry,"she answered, before disappearing in a swarm of blue lights.

"I doubt it," He said aloud to himself, then to Leo, "Well, what now?"

"Now, we wait."

He knew that wasn't what Cole wanted to hear, but patience was what they needed right now.

Cole sighed and plopped back down on the love seat, only to stand again within seconds. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he resumed pacing past the dark stain glass windows.

Patience had never been a virtue he'd practiced, and waiting while Phoebe was in danger made it that much harder, not to mention what could happen to their unborn son.

He knew it would no good to think negatively, but he couldn't help creating the worst case scenario in his mind.

He knew firsthand what the source was capable of, and without a human half to counteract the evil, the wizard would be a lot worse than he ever was.

As always, when situations became tense, time passed more slowly, more painfully. Eventually he sat back down, his legs needing some rest, but it didn't seem to help much. Restlessness was in his nature. He needed to be part of the action. What made it all the more difficult was how well Leo seemed to be handling the situation.

In fact, judging by his brother-in-law's lack of pacing, foot tapping, or just about any movement at all, it would seem that the whitelighter was generally disinterested in the matter.

However, Cole knew better. Leo had more practice at this, three years worth to be exact. He was sure Leo had started out like him, fidgety and a nervous wreck.

The silence was also starting to get to him. He would almost go as far to say that he missed Paige's constant ridicule and disapproval, anything to distract him from what was really on his mind.

Phoebe.

More precisely, him and Phoebe...their relationship, or what was left of it anyway.

He had lied.

It was as simple as that.

Sure he had tried to tell her numerous times, but every time someone or something interrupted them, or worse the source lashed out, giving him a terrible migraine and the feeling of helplessness. Still, Phoebe deserved to know, and he wished that he could have told her himself, instead of her finding out via premonition.

He figured that in a roundabout way he had told her. By suppressing the source with his love for her, he allowed her to get a premonition off of him, warning her of what was to come.

Of course he also had an unexpected helper. His and Phoebe's unborn son. The announcement of the birth had caused him so much happiness and love, that even the source couldn't overcome it.

Even now, he could hardly believe he was going to be a father. What made it even more unbelievable was that Phoebe was going to be the mother. Never in a million years, or in a hundred and sixteen to be exact, did he ever imagine someone like Phoebe blessing him with a beautiful baby boy. He never considered himself the paternal type to begin with, and it never ceased to amaze him how lucky he was in finding the love of his life. Phoebe was his, he was hers, and there was no way in hell he was going to let any evil, even the source, get in the way of their destined happiness.

Still, she could no longer trust him.

Could he blame her?

Her love for him hadn't changed. That was for sure. But he knew things weren't quite the same as they had been during their engagement. A few months before, their love was so strong even God couldn't weaken it. Ironically, they grew farther apart after their marriage ceremony as Phoebe suppressed her growing suspicions while the source used her as a pawn.

With time, Cole knew she would over come her issues of trust, but for now all he could do was sit back and wait.

He was sick of waiting.

Just then, Piper, Phoebe, and Paige materialized before him, relieving some of his anxieties.

Piper looked the worst for wear. Her long brown hair was disheveled and she was sporting a decent amount of cuts and bruises. Paige, brown bag in hand, wore a few wounds of her own, although not as many as Piper. Phoebe, he noticed, with a sigh of relief, appeared to be in the best shape of all. Apart from a scratch on her upper right arm, she looked relatively unscathed.

Still, just to be sure, Leo quickly made his way to each witch and healed her with expert timing and precision. As soon, as the last of the light faded from Leo's palms, Cole spoke.

"So, how did it go? Did you vanquish him? Did you get the Grimoire?"

"Good, and yes to both counts," Piper said, still slightly exasperated.

"Wow, really? You guys managed all that?" Leo said, unbelieving.

"He of little faith." Piper shook her head, a small grin on her face. "To tell you the truth, I'm just as surprised as you are. I expected to have him chase us back her for the final showdown, but apparently he figured he'd have the home field advantage"

Leo was still in disbelief. "So did you get the book first, or vanquish him right away."

"Well," Piper continued, "He was there when we orbed in like expected, but he surprisingly had no tricks up his sleeve, or illusions I should say, so Phoebe ans I distracted him long enough for Paige to get the crystals and orb a cage around him. Then, we said the spell," She paused, a worried look crossing her face, "Come to think of it, maybe we should check to make sure he's really dead, because that was _way_ to easy."

"Well the important thing is that your back safe and sound," Cole said, embracing Phoebe in a whole hearted hug. She, on the other hand was less than enthusiastic, merely standing there while he did all the work.

He pulled back, noticing her lack of involvement.

"What is it? Are you hurt? Is it the baby?"

"No, the baby's fine," She said softly.

Placing her hand on his shoulder, she pushed him upright. Her other hand finding his, she pulled at his arm, leading him toward the attic door.

"We need to talk," she said, and noticed the expression on his face. He wanted to delay the inevitable, but she wouldn't let him, "Now," she added, giving his hand another tug.

He reluctantly followed, leaving the rest of the Halliwells to watch and wonder what would happened next.

If only he knew.

Instantly, Cole recognized the smell of wood and musk, that was Phoebe's bedroom. The single lamp in the corner of the room cast a warm glow over the antique furniture that was now empty and bare. Phoebe had insisted on taking everything with her when they moved into the Penthouse a few short weeks ago. The manor had been the only home she'd known, and as much as she wanted a peaceful, private life with him, moving out had been one of the hardest things she'd ever done. Packing every single knick knack she owned gave her a sense of security as she tried to make the penthouse as close to home as possible. She would've taken the furniture as well if he hadn't convinced her that it wasn't the most practical idea.

She sat down on the edge of the bed, her legs barely touching the floor. The mattress sank as he took a seat next to her, placing a hand on her thigh. A few minutes passed and neither said a word, both waiting for the other to start.

Cole finally broke the silence.

"Well, you wanted to talk and I'm listening, so..." He bent forward, trying to look into her eyes which were cast downward, staring at the folded hands on her lap. Without meeting his gaze she whispered, "Where do we go from here?"

He placed a finger under her delicate chin, lifting her head to face his. He smiled softly, noticing the lack of fear in her eyes.

"Wherever you want to go. Just say the word and I'll take you there. I might not be able to shimmer anymore, but that never stopped me before."

She smiled, almost to herself.

"You know what I mean, Cole. Where do we stand? How can I trust you?"

He sighed, covering both of her hands with one of his own.

"You can't."

Biting her bottom lip, she took in truth of what he was saying.

"But you _can _love me," he continued, giving her hands a squeeze, "and we both know you do. It will take some time, but we'll make it. We always do."

Taking a deep breath, she placed her head on his shoulder, scooting closer. "How can you be so sure," She asked, glancing up at his strong jaw. "What if this time love isn't enough?"

His heart stopped for a moment as he considered her question.

Wrapping an arm around her back, he pulled her even closer still.

"I am more than sure. I am absolutely positive that we can make it through this."

Phoebe sat up, pulling her legs onto the bed and turning to face him.

"I never knew love before I met you. I never knew anything, except power and hate. You made me the person I am today. You're the reason why The Source could never fully destroy me. You saved me Phoebe, in more ways than one."

He brought a hand to her cheek, covering half of her face. She locked eyes with him for a moment before looking down to play with the fabric of her skirt.

"It still hurts," she said, tugging more forcefully at the folds of her clothes.

"I know...and I wish more than anything I had the power to change what happened to me...to us. If I had known that by absorbing the hollow..."

He chuckled quietly to himself.

"Actually, to be quite honest...I don't think I would have done things differently. If it meant saving you and your sisters..." He paused, unsure of how to continue. "Phoebe, you know I'd do almost anything for you, but I will not be a coward. It's just not who I am."

She pulled him tightly into a loving embrace, remembering the last time he had told her that. Piper, grieving over Prue's death, had been turned into a Fury, and Paige had suggested using Cole as bait. She of course had protested, but Cole being Cole, had refused to sit back and wait while they were in danger. She had agreed after hearing the sincerity in his voice, and this time it was no different.

Cole was and always would be her hero.

Sure he had his downfalls, being half demon was definitely one of them, but he made up for everything just by loving her.

He had never known love before he had met her, but neither had she...not really. Cole's love was unlike anything she'd ever experienced, and she was not about to give up on it now.

**Liljdpegasuschic160: **Ok, well that's that! Please comment (I feed off of your input) especially since this idea came out of nowhere. I have no idea where it's going to go (well, maybe somewhat of an idea) and I need to know if I should continue. Thanks!


	2. Chapter 2: Serious Suspicions

**liljdpegasuschic160: **Thanks to everyone for the reviews! They really got me in the mood to write some more. Since I wasn't really sure where I was going, this chapter was a lot of fun to write. I just sat down, and whatever came out did! I hope you like the results. Oh, & pinkrockpunkcess, I had planned on doing something with the baby (I just couldn't forget the little devil now could I? no pun intended). Since you mentioned it, I made it the focus of this chapter.

Read, Review, & Enjoy!

**Third Time's a Charm**

Chapter 2: Serious Suspicions

Cole arrived in the kitchen the next morning a little after eight. Although relatively early for most people on the weekend, Cole liked the early hours.

Usually.

Upon entering, he noticed Phoebe sitting at the small, square table next to the window, still in her pajamas. Her hair was pulled back into a loose bun and stray strands fell randomly around her tired, stress worn face. The sharp rays of sunlight shot through the old lace curtains, giving her pale skin a soft glow.

_'Phoebe is the only women in the world that could make morning sickness look good._' Cole thought to himself, smiling.

Her queasiness had to be the reason for her early start. Unlike him, Phoebe fought stubbornly for every last second of sleep. He had always been sure not to wake her when leaving for work in the past, to avoid her morning wrath.

He had hoped it was nothing too serious when he awoke to find her side of the bed cold and empty.

Last night, much to his protest, he and Phoebe had shared a bed...their bed, or at least their old one. After all the crazy events that had taken place, Phoebe had wanted to stay at the manor, at least for the night. Feeling slight tension still between them, he suggested he sleep on the couch, but Phoebe had insisted that it was for the best. After all, they _were_ still married, and if they were ever going to have a trusting relationship again, they had to continue as they had before. They had to act how any other married couple, that wasn't a witch and a 'ex' demon, would act. The trust would come naturally with time. Once they remembered why they had fallen in love in the first place, possession and betrayal would become old history.

Cole poured himself a cup of coffee then sat down across from his wife, who was at the moment pretending to read the newspaper.

Her tired eyes were distant as she lost herself in a daydream.

He snapped her out of her reverie, placing his mug on the table with a loud click. Her dark eyes darted up to meet his, then left his face to survey the empty room.

Piper and Leo were enjoying their Saturday morning, still locked in their room, and Paige, who was even less of a morning person than she was, lay collapsed in bed, probably snoring.

She had tried to ignore her churning insides and fall back asleep, but her baby wouldn't let her. He was like an internal alarm clock.

From the fire throwing to the constant upset stomach, this baby was already a handful. She figured he already owed her multiple time outs. Even demon/witch children need discipline.

She sighed, running a set of slender fingers through her haphazard hair. She stared at Cole's cup of coffee enviously. In the last hour or so that she'd been awake, she hadn't managed to eat or drink a thing without feeling the need to bring it back up to the surface.

Her eyes roamed from the smooth white surface of the mug, to the smooth tan skin of Cole's fingers, gripping the handle tightly.

His hands...how she loved his hands. She smiled a little, realizing how strange a fetish it was, but it was the truth. She absolutely loved his hands. She loved when he held her hands in his, or when he placed one hand on the side or her face, or even just the touch of his fingertips as he brushed her hair back into place.

Cole watched silently, never taking his eyes off her, wondering what thoughts were running through her head. Every so often she'd smile or sigh, making it hard not to be curious.

As much as he enjoyed her silent company, he spoke, warming the room instantly with his voice.

"How are you feeling?" He knew the answer, but asked anyway out of politeness.

"Not so good. I've definitely been better. I tell ya, if this baby is causing this much trouble at only a month old, just think of all the things we'll have deal with when he's in his terrible twos, and I don't even want to think about when he's a teenager." She laughed in exasperation, her eyes growing wide.

"I just hope all this is normal, you know? I mean, it's not like I can go online and look up the tendencies of demonic witch children," Placing a hand on her stomach, she continued in a more serious tone, "And I know it sounds crazy because there really is no reason why anything should be wrong, but I feel like there is...something wrong. I just have a gut feeling that there's something about this baby that isn't quite right, and to tell you the truth...I'm scared."

Cole took a deep breath, not sure how he should respond. Reaching across the table, he found her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Phoebe," he said, as calmly as he could, "There's something I need to tell you...about the baby."

As he spoke, fear spread across her face, and she was unsure if she wanted him to go on.

"When I was possessed by the Source, the Seer came to me with the news that she had foreseen the future...our future."

"And?" She urged on, warily.

He paused, trying to remember her words exactly.

"She told me the day before our wedding that we were going to have a son. And not just any son. She said that he would be the most powerful magical child the world has ever seen."

Phoebe's eyes widened, looking down at her belly as if expecting something to happen.

"And that's a bad thing?" She asked, looking more anxious by the second.

Cole took a quick sip of his coffee.

"Well, yes...At least to The Source it was. You see, our son would've been the most powerful force of good, and of course The Source couldn't have that, not if he wanted an heir to

his throne. So..."

"So?" Phoebe echoed, her voice faltering.

"So, the Seer created a tonic that when consumed would make a women fertile to demon seed. Granted, in order for it to work, she would have to become pregnant during the full moon, but if that was the case, any chance of a normal child being conceived..."

"Would be slim to none," She finished for him.

Rising from her seat, she made her way over to fridge, looking in for a second before shutting the door, realizing it was a meaningless action meant to distract her.

"But still, even if this potion did exist, I never took any of it. Our baby shouldn't be affected." Her voice had no conviction whatsoever, and she barely believed herself. She knew whatever Cole was about to say would destroy all hope.

"There's a reason why we took our honeymoon on the night that we did."

Refusing to make eye contact, he stared blankly at his still full mug.

"The full moon..." She whispered, remembering. "But still, the tonic..."

"Remember the chocolates I bought you that morning?" He asked, cutting her off. "The ones I was a little too eager to make you eat."

"Oh, my God," She said, burying her head in her hands, then moving both slowly to back to her stomach. "I'm carrying the source's demonic spawn. Cole, what are we going to do?"

"We don't know for sure if it's the source's heir or not...only time will tell."

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" She demanded, raising her hands in an uproar.

"Because I wasn't sure, and I didn't want to worry you."

"Worry me? Cole, I could have the devil himself growing inside of me! That's something I think I deserved to know! Worrying me is the least of your problems!" Covering her mouth with her hands, she inhaled deeply.

"Look, like I said, I wasn't sure, and I guess like you, I didn't want to listen to my gut instinct that something could be wrong. I wanted to believe that this child could actually be ours, and that we could have a happy family together. Is that such a bad thing to want?"

He turned towards her, his eyes full of regret.

"No, no of course not, Baby," Phoebe said after a moment, walking over to his side and stroking his hair in consolation.

Standing, he took her into his arms, resting his chin on her head as she snuggled against his broad chest. She sighed, taking in the scent of the black turtleneck he was wearing, spicy and woody with a touch of musk. A scent that was undeniably Cole. A scent she would take to her grave. Hopefully, she wouldn't have to anytime soon.

"If the baby is...you know, the Source..."

"I know it's hard, but try not to think about too much for now. We'll figure it out soon enough, and when we do, we'll decide what to do then. Whatever happens I promise you we can get through this together. We've been through worse."

Looking down, he smiled at her for comfort, more than out of joy. Standing on her tip toes, she pulled him down into a passionate kiss, holding his head in place. When they finally came up for air, Phoebe leaned against him, her eyes half shut, their noses touching.

"You're right. We've had to deal with all sorts of demons in this family. We've even _had_ a demon in the family," she said, playing with the fabric of his shirt. "But when I vanquished you, even though it was fake, it was hard...really hard. I love this baby, and I don't know if I can vanquish someone I love again, especially if it's for real...even if he is demonic I..."

"Who's demonic?" Paige asked, walking briskly into the kitchen.

Phoebe turned to face her younger sister, surprised by her entrance.

"Oh, uh it's nothing," Phoebe lied, "Just a little husband and wife chit chat."

Paige stopped in her tracks, tilting her head to the right, "You guys don't do that weird talk-about-each-other-in-third-person thing...do you?"

"No," Phoebe chuckled, shaking her head.

"Good, because I thought for a moment you were talking about Cole."

"No, most definitely not," Phoebe assured her, "Cole is_ not_ a demon."

"Are you sure? Because if he is I'd like to know now. Last time Cole was demonic I had to find out the hard way, and everyone thought I was nuts."

"Well you are," Cole teased, wrapping his arms around Phoebe from behind.

Paige shook her head. "You know Cole, your superb sense of humor never ceases to amaze me." She looked at her sister with raised brows, "Where ever did you find such a catch?"

"At night, in an a San Francisco alleyway."

She and Cole exchanged glances, remembering the moment.

"And that wasn't a dead giveaway? If there's one thing I've learned being Charmed it's that evil likes nothing more than to lurk in back streets of the city."

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Well it wasn't like I found him as Balthazor attacking an innocent. He was posing as the ADA on the crime scene."

"Why does everyone in the legal system work for the bad guys?"

"Because we're all so charming and smooth-tongued," Cole answered, giving Phoebe a quick squeeze.

It was Paige's turn to roll her eyes.

"You know, Paige, I think he might be right," Phoebe said, adjusting herself to face Cole once more. "Not so much the charming part," she admitted, crinkling her nose, "But smooth-tongued," She smiled mischievously, "Definitely."

Cole returned her grin before planting another steamy kiss on her lips.

Paige made a face in disgust.

"When will you two learn that nobody finds that appealing?"

She turned away, embarrassed for her sister. When she was sure they were finished, she turned back around, grabbing a bagel out of the fridge and popping it into the toaster.

"Oh, c'mon Paige. It's nothing you haven't seen before...or done before." Phoebe added, still cuddling Cole.

"My point exactly. I've seen it one too many times."

She grabbed a plate out of one of the cabinets.

"And as far as me doing it? Well that's different..."

"I don't see how." Phoebe argued, playfully.

"All I'm saying," Paige continued, grabbing a knife out of a drawer, "Is that the make out routine is getting a bit old."

"Make out routine? Who's got a make out routine? Is it that club down the street, because let me tell you they are into some pretty kinky stuff."

Both sisters watched as the oldest of the Halliwell witches made her way to the fridge in search of something edible.

"No Piper," Phoebe said, "Paige was just...scoldingCole and I for...being in love." She finished, giving Cole a quick kiss on the lips.

Piper stared at them, mouth slightly agape. "_Right_...I'm not going to even comment on that."

Paige gave Phoebe an 'I told you so' look.

Just then, a soft thunk sounded.

Turning, Paige grabbed one crispy bagel half out the toaster, plopping it onto her plate.

"I gotta get outta here," Paige said, taking a bite of her breakfast and glancing at the clock.

"Where are _you_ going? I thought you had the weekends off." Piper inquired, pouring some orange juice into a glass.

"I know," Paige sighed, "But everything at work's been in overload lately, and I have to get the paperwork together to write up some assessments. It's not a full day's work. I promise I won't be gone long."

"Take your time, there's no rush. Now that The Source is dead, hopefully for good this time, demonic activity should be at a record low." She looked to Cole, "Right?"

He nodded, stepping away from Phoebe to grab his mug off the table, taking another small sip.

"With The Source gone, the Underworld will be in chaos. It will take them a while to regroup and choose a new leader. If they ever do. The Source left no heir, so they'll have to vote in new one, and as you can imagine, demons aren't very open to the concept of democracy."

"Well thank God for that. I'd prefer they didn't elect a new leader at all, but if it takes longer...I'm just glad he left no heir. I'm not sure if I could deal with another Source right away, and the last thing we need is an attacking demon baby that's too cute to vanquish."

Phoebe knew her sister was joking, but it worried her nonetheless.

"Not that there's anything wrong with demon children." Piper added, noticing Phoebe's awkward smile.

She tried to shrug it off. "It's ok. No offense taken."

She glanced at the clock, searching for a reason to leave the house she had been so eager to live in again.

"Paige is right, it's getting late," She said, turning to Cole. "We'd better get going."

"Late? It's not even nine." Piper said, checking the clock herself. "Since when are you a morning person, especially on a Saturday?"

"Since the thing growing inside me decided it'd be fun to make mommy sick, so she'd wake up."

"Thing. That's a little harsh," Paige said, jokingly "I mean, I know it's Cole's kid, but it's not like it's the Source's evil spawn."

Cole let out a snort, trying not to spew his coffee.

"You ok?" Piper asked, moving closer.

Phoebe stopped her with a staying hand. "He's fine." She said, quickly. "We just really need to be going. I mean, I'm not even dressed, and Cole's wearing the same clothes from last night. We should really be getting home."

"Ok," Piper said, suspicious of her sister's unusual behavior. "I'll have Leo orb you guys home."

"You don't have to go get Leo. I can do it." Paige said, finishing off her bagel and tossing the plate in the sink. "I have time for one quick trip to the penthouse."

She stepped forward, holding out her hand for Phoebe to take, she did. Cole finished off his drink, placing the empty mug back on the table and entwining Phoebe's hand with his.

"Ready?" Paige asked.

Phoebe nodded and all three watched as Piper and the room faded from view in a bright blue haze.

-----------------

"Was it just me, or was Phoebe acting weird this morning?" Piper asked Paige, who was sitting on the couch reading the newest edition of Vogue. Piper herself sat in a white whicker chair opposite her sister, enjoying the sunlight that streamed through the large stain glass windows.

"If you consider her sudden urge to get out of the house and away from us weird, than no, it wasn't just you."

Piper sighed, "Maybe it's just her pregnancy hormones kicking in. I don't want to look too much into it."

"I don't know," her sister said, flipping ahead a few pages, "My instincts tell me something isn't right. I can't just ignore them. You know what happened the last time I thought something was wrong."

"I know, I know, but I think I might have just hit a nerve when I mentioned demonic offspring."

Paige closed her magazine, making eye contact with Piper for the first time in the conversation.

"Yeah, well, it's not your fault she had to go and get pregnant with Cole's baby."

Piper shook in head in disapproval.

"He is her husband Paige. It's not like she was sleeping around with some random guy."

"I know, but I still don't like it. Cole's never given me the best vibes."

"Yeah, well you haven't exactly been open to them, have you?"

Paige glared at her older sister, arms folded across her chest.

"He hasn't been human for more than a day," She argued, "If he manages to stay un-demonic for a month or two, _then_ I'll start to consider the possibility of friendship, but until then..."

For awhile, the only sound was the rustle of the Paige's magazine and the occasional noise of approval from the young witch when she saw something of interest.

Piper was looking out the window, deep in thought.

"I still feel like there's something she's not telling us," Paige said, unintentionally. It was just a random thought that had managed to form words.

"I feel the same way," Piper responded, still looking out at the yard

Standing, Paige placed the magazine down on the low, rectangular table in front of her. "Should we call her on it?" She asked, stretching.

Piper shook her head, standing as well.

"No, we'll just end up pushing her away. If something's really wrong she'll come to us in time."

"But what if it's too late by then?"

"Phoebe will let us know if it's really that serious. I promise." Piper said, placing a hand on Paige's shoulder. "Let get outta here and do something fun for a change."

"Piper? Wants to have fun? And I thought Phoebe was the one acting strange."

Piper gave Paige a playful smack, but realized her sister was right. Lately, she'd been so busy being the oldest sister and running a household and a club, that she'd forgotten to take time off to enjoy little things, like a day of shopping with your sister. All the Source incidents and Phoebe moving out had made it that much harder to find time for fun, but now was the perfect opportunity. Hopefully, a day on the town would help her put her at ease about the Phoebe situation. She figured she would find out soon enough, probably sooner than she'd like.

---------------------------

Halfway across town, Phoebe paced nervously past the fireplace. She had changed out of her pajamas and into a white, form fitting, long sleeved shirt and a pair of light wash jeans. Her feet were bare, making little noise on the sand colored carpet.

Cole sat at the glass table next to the balcony doors, his briefcase open, exposing hoards of legal documents that he needed to attend to. Good thing his job hadn't been just a cover, or they'd be living back at the manor. It took a good deal of money to rent the penthouse, but it was worth it. Before, privacy was nonexistent. Sure, he had nothing to hide anymore, but having Phoebe all to himself was not something he wanted to give up anytime soon.

"Do you think they suspect something?" Phoebe asked, after the silence had become unbearable.

"Who honey?"

"My sisters."

Cole continued to work, listening.

"I mean, wasn't it weird how they didn't even ask us to stay, and Piper didn't offer to make us breakfast, and it was awfully nice of Paige to orb us here instead of Leo, and they kept mentioning demons and babies and the source, and..."

"Ok, you know what?" Cole said, standing. "I think you need to calm down."

"You're right," She sighed, plopping down on the tan, suede armchair close by. "I'm just really worried about the baby. I know you told me to forget about it, but it's kind of hard to forget something like that. You just can't forget about a baby growing inside you, especially when that baby has the potential to turn you and your family evil."

By now, Cole had made his way across the room. He stopped in front of her chair and extended his arms, offering to help her up. She accepted his offer, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on the dark blue sweater he now wore.

He rocked her gently back and forth, speaking softly into her ear.

"Now you listen to me. No one's going to turn this family evil. I'll make sure of that."

"You said that in order to find out about the baby we'd have to wait and see." She pulled back a bit, so she could look up at him without straining. "What exactly are we waiting for? What are the signs?"

He thought for a moment. "Well, anything out of the ordinary I guess."

"Throwing fire is ordinary? There's something about pregnancy you don't hear everyday." Her voice was joking, but her face remained serious.

Cole didn't answer. He knew she was right that something was wrong. He could deny it no longer. When she had first told him of her new demonic power, he brushed it off, assuming that when he was in utero he'd done the same thing. That of course was impossible since he didn't develop his powers until later. He was at least five or six. Besides, fire throwing was an upper level power, not something someone only a quarter demon would have. As much as he hated to admit it, this baby was not his.

This baby was The Source.

------------------------------

**Liljdpegasuschic160: **Cliffhanger!!! Sorry, but I thought it'd be a good place to stop. I won't be updating for a while. Nothing drastic like a month or anything, but proabbly a couple of weeks. Summer vacation will be over before I know it, and I'm only half way through 'Grapes of Wrath', I haven't even bought my second summer reading book yet, and I haven't done any of the questions! So, school unforunately comes first...even in the summer. sigh Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm trying hard to stay in character and true to the Charmed Universe, so I've been watching a bunch of episodes lately for reasearch (or atleast that's what I tell everybody). People that write out of character is one of my pet peeves, so if I'm doing just that I'm sorry. Ok, well keep the reviews coming and the next chapter will be up before you know it!


	3. Chapter 3: A Well Deserved Victory

**Liljdpegasuschic160:** Ok, so I wasn't gone as long as I thought I would be. I was a good girl and worked really hard on my summer reading and I got enough of it done so I could write some more. Yay! This chapter's really long though, it was 11 pages on Word, so I most definately need a little break before I write the next chapter. Again, thanks sooo much to everyone that reviewed. You guys are the reason why I write longer chapters. You inspire me. ) All the reviews really helped motivate me. Keep 'em coming! This chapter is both happy and sad. I guess you'd say it's bittersweet. The fluffy happy chapters will be coming up shortly, don't worry. I do have a plan. You'll all just have to stick around to see what it is...

Read, Review, & Enjoy!

**Third Time's A Charm**

Chapter 3: A Well Deserved Victory

_'Sleep. I need to get some sleep.'_

Cole glanced at the clock, squinting. The bright red numbers stung his sore, tired eyes.

**1:42 **

"Perfect." he muttered, shoving his face back onto the familiar surface of his pillow.

Five hours. He had been in bed almost five hours.

He sighed heavily, attempting to relax, to let sleep take over. No such luck.

He sighed again, pulling up the soft, green comforter until nothing but his head and neck were left exposed.

Still, nothing.

Apart from the the occasional rustle of sheets, all that could be heard was the steady sound of Phoebe's breath.

Cole listened.

The sound calmed him.

Still, his mind was too far gone to let any thoughts of sleep prevail.

Propping himself up on an elbow, Cole watched silently as Phoebe lost herself in a dream world.

_'Well at least someone's getting a good night's sleep_.'

Envious as he was, he couldn't help but smile.

She was beautiful.

The outside light cast harsh shadows onto her face, but Cole could see the softness in her features. He scooted closer, wrapping an arm gently around her waist. He smiled into her hair, taking in its warm, vanilla scent. He let out a hum, kissing the top of her dark brown head.

Despite all the stress of the past month...moving out, the baby, her new job...Phoebe somehow always managed to get at least eight hours of uninterrupted sleep.

Until now.

He could feel her beginning to wake, stirring against his body. She tossed, and flipped over completely to face him. She became still once more, and Cole thought for a moment that she'd fallen back asleep.

He smiled again, brushing the hair away from her face and kissing her on the forehead.

"I love you." He whispered, running a thumb down her jaw.

Her eyes opened, meeting his.

"I love you too." She whispered back, so softly it seemed she'd only mouthed the words.

He nodded, rubbing their noses together.

"Sorry I woke you."

She smiled slightly, her fingers playing with the crew neck of his old, grey shirt.

"You didn't wake me. I've been having a hard time sleeping."

"You fooled me."

"Yeah, well I knew you couldn't sleep and I didn't want to worry you even more, so I hoped that if you saw me sleeping you'd think I was ok."

This unsettled him, anxiety set in his face.

"Aren't you?"

The two had retired to an early rest. Phoebe felt weakened by the baby and he, having no more work, wanted to lie with her, to keep her safe. He didn't know how much protecting her could actually do, but it felt better to be close...just in case.

"I'm not sure," she said, moving one gentle hand up and down his chest. "I feel a little better physically, but..."

"Too much on you mind?"

She nodded, snuggling closer.

He understood completely. Too much was actually an understatement.

A few minutes past in silence before she spoke, "Do you think we could visit the manor again today?"

Cole collapsed onto his back, sighing heavily. Phoebe crawled towards him, collapsing herself, resting her head on his chest, listening to each heartbeat, feeling each rise and fall.

"I know we just spent the night there, and I know you want some time to ourselves, but there will be plenty of time for that in the future. Right now I need my sisters."

This confirmed it as serious. If Phoebe needed to talk to her sisters, she knew the truth.

'_A mother's instinct_,' he guessed, playing gently with her hair.

Whenever things got tough, she came to him. He was always her shoulder to cry on, but every once in awhile he wasn't enough. Certain situations call for a certain approach. Cole's approach? Tell it like it is. Use comforting words and a reassuring tone, but don't beat around the bush.

Certain situations call for the sisterly approach. Listen, eat, sympathize. Then, after all

has been said and consumed, you come up with the best solution to the problem, even if no such solution exists.

This was a sisterly situation. This was an emergency.

Cole knew.

In the past year or so, he'd come into a better understanding of the word family. He knew what made them work, what made them close, what made them strong. But he also knew what made them fall apart. They needed each other. They needed to talk.

Earlier in their relationship he would've felt resentment, wondering where he went wrong, why his love wasn't enough.

He quickly learned that there's just no substitute for family.

"I have to tell them," she said, "I can't keep lying. I've tried keeping things from them in the past, especially things about us, and all it ever did was make me feel guilty."She looked up at him, resting her chin on her forearm.

He stared back, contemplating.

"Ok," he sighed, "We'll go over there first thing after breakfast."

Phoebe's face brightened instantly. Smiling, she repositioned herself on his body, making her eyes level with his. She gazed fondly into his deep set eyes, mesmerized by their current clear blue color. Even in the darkness, she saw them twinkle with approval as he studied the contours of her face, moving down her slender nose, across her rosy cheeks, resting on her full lips, then retracing their steps back to her dark brown eyes.

With her right hand, she caressed his thick head of hair as she leaned in to kiss his surprisingly soft lips.

"Mmmm, I love you." She said, pulling apart.

"Really? I couldn't tell," he teased, and she let out a small laugh.

Placing her head back on his chest, she shut her eyes inducing slumber.

Cole turned his head to look at the clock once more.

**2:03**

He stared blankly into the darkness until at last, he let sleep take him.

--------------------------------------------------

The next morning came quickly and quietly.

With Phoebe & Cole gone, the manor lacked the usual hustle and bustle the family had

become so accustomed to. Phoebe's early morning rants, Cole's constant bickering with Paige, and their public displays of affection were all things the remaining Halliwells had to learn to live without.

The drastic change had been hard at first, but with time they had adjusted. No one realized just how much they had missed them, until the couple had stayed the night, stirring up old memories. Piper had awoke to find to no coffee ready and waiting, and Paige came down to a 'Cole-less' kitchen with no one to nag. Even Leo, who paid little attention to the early morning chit chat, missed the noise he no longer had to block out and ignore.

The three sat at the kitchen table in silence, each absorbed in their own new routine. Piper and Leo sat opposite each other, sharing the newspaper. She kept the _Culinary Arts _and _Lifestyle_ sections, while he read _Sports _and _Home Improvement._ Paige sat with her back to the windows, looking over one of her countless fashion magazines, neglecting her now soggy cereal.

Just then, the doorbell rang, bringing their reading to a halt.

"I'll get it." Piper said.

She rose, curious to see who it was.

"Cole!" Piper said in surprise, when she opened to door to find the large man looking down at her.

"What are you doing here so early, and more importantly why are you here alone?"

Cole looked confused for a moment, but then laughed, shaking his head.

"I'm not here by myself Piper. Phoebe wanted to stop by." He said, stepping aside to reveal his wife, who until now had been completely concealed from view.

Piper smiled, realizing her mistake.

"Oh, well come on in," she said, motioning with her hand.

Phoebe stepped inside. Cole followed, shutting the door behind him.

The two just stood there in silence while Piper's eyes darted back and forth between them.

"Would you like something to eat? We're already finished, but I can whip up something really quick."

Cole shook his head. "That's ok. We just ate."

"Ok, well would you at least like something to drink? Coffee? Water? Juice?"

Cole shook his head again. "No thanks, Piper. We're good."

"Well come with me into the kitchen anyway. Leo and Paige will be happy to see you."

'_Well at least Leo anyway._' Piper added as an afterthought.

"Actually, we were planning on just meeting with you. For now anyway. Phoebe needs to talk to you about something. Alone."

Piper looked to her sister for conformation and Phoebe nodded, her hands fidgeting with the handle of her purse.

"_Uh huh_. Ok, well why don't you go sit down in conservatory? I just have a couple of things to finish up then I'll be right with you."

Piper sighed, walking briskly back into the kitchen.

Leo stood on cue as Piper walked passed his seat and over to the counter. As she cleaned up dishes, he stood behind her, his hands shoved into the front pockets of his well worn jeans.

"Who was that?"

"Phoebe and Cole."

Paige looked up.

"Well we know it can't be social call. They were just here yesterday and were very eager to leave. _So_, has the Underworld already picked a new leader, or is it just your average power hungry demon trying to create a loyal fan base by killing us?"

"No, I have a feeling it's more serious than that."

"More serious than a lower level demon, or more serious than The Source?"

"Phoebe wants to talk."

Leo and Paige looked to each other, feeling they were missing something.

"But when I answered the door, Cole was the only one doing the talking."

Paige looked as if she'd had an epiphany.

"That bad huh?"

"I think so," Piper said, rinsing off the last plate and setting it on the drying rack. "Whatever she was hiding from us yesterday must have really shook her up."

Paige stood abruptly, smacking her hands on the table.

"Well then, let's go out there and find out."

She was almost to the door when Piper stopped her, her voice stern.

"No Paige. You stay here."

At first Paige looked confused, but her expression quickly turned to anger.

"Why? Phoebe's in trouble. What if it's as serious as we think? She's going to need both of us."

Piper understood her sister's frustration, but if Phoebe was really upset, she needed to respect her wishes.

"Phoebe wants to talk to me alone. At least for now."

."Oh, ok." Paige said, trying to sound positive, but Piper saw the hurt forming in her eyes

"Paige," she sighed, "It's not that she doesn't love you, or that she doesn't want your support. It's just, I have a hunch that this is about her and Cole, and you haven't exactly been supportive of them in the past. I think she's just worried that your past prejudices will keep you from accepting...whatever it is that's going on."

Paige stood in silence for a moment, trying to accept what she'd just heard.

"Fine," Paige sighed, looking to Leo who nodded in approval. "Just tell me what she says ok? I don't want to be out of the loop forever."

Piper agreed, walking over to her sister and giving her an 'I'm here for you too' kind of hug. Then, releasing her, she took a deep breath and headed out into the dining room.

As she approached the open entranceway to the conservatory, Piper saw Phoebe and Cole sitting on the white, whicker love seat. Both had a serious look of their faces and Cole held Phoebe close, speaking quietly into her ear. The sound of her high heeled boots on the tiled floor, caused the pair to look in her direction, and although it was just the two of them, it felt to Piper as if a whole room of people had all their eyes on her.

She quickened her pace, and made her way over to the chair next to them, sitting down.

At the same time, Cole moved to stand, but Phoebe stopped him, grabbing his arm.

"No, stay." She said, needing him there.

He nodded, and sat back down reluctantly.

Piper looked at her sister expectantly, hoping she wouldn't have to be the one to start the conversation.

"Piper," Phoebe began, "I came her because I need to tell you something. Something really important that I think you deserve to know."

Phoebe's mind raced as she thought of the best way to go about saying this.

"Remember yesterday in the kitchen when we were all taking about demons and babies, and for some reason all of a sudden I wanted to leave? "

Piper responded with a nod.

"Well, that's because right before we had that conversation, Cole and I were discussing our baby, and his possible demonic attributes," She glanced at Cole, "And he considered the possibility that this baby might not be ours at all."

Phoebe waited for Piper's reaction with a look of uneasiness.

"What do you mean _not yours_?" Phoebe and Cole exchanged glances once more, making Piper more nervous by the second. "Who else's could it be?"she asked, not sure if she wanted an answer.

"We think, and this is just a theory, a strong theory, but a theory nonetheless," her speech was gaining momentum and she tried to slow it down, "We think, that this baby might be...The Source, his heir."

Piper's eyes grew wide and her heart began to race. She steadied herself, holding on to the arms of the chair. Of all the things she had prepared herself to hear, this had definitely not been one of them.

"The Source?" She repeated, with surprising composure.

Phoebe nodded, and Cole followed suit.

"And _why _would you think that?"

"Because Cole fed me chocolates that were laced with a demonic potion the day the baby was conceived." She answered, as if this were the most normal thing in the world.

Piper rose, glaring at Cole.

"You did what?!" She almost screamed, this time unable to keep her cool.

Cole raised his hands in surrender, "Hey, I was under The Source's influence. You can't blame this entirely on me."

He was right. She knew what it felt like to be possessed, to not have complete control over your actions. Still, she was freaking out, and paranoid Piper was not a happy Piper.

"No, but I can still blame part of you," She said, pointing a finger at him, "And I do!"

Phoebe reached for her sister, pleading, "Piper,"

"What?" she snapped.

"This is serious."

"Really Phoebe? I had no idea."

Phoebe sighed, standing up to try and calm the frantic witch.

"What I meant was, you need to calm down. This is serious, so we need to figure out how to fix it, and we can't do that if you're freaking out."

"Freaking out? Phoebe, when I vanquished The Source the other day I was under the impression that he would not be coming back. Now, all of a sudden, here he is!" Piper said, indicating Phoebe's stomach. "And it's not like we can vanquish him, because in order to do that we'd have to vanquish you! And it's not like we can just magically remove him from your womb and vanquish him then!" she said, her hands flailing all over the place.

"That's it!" Cole exclaimed.

The sisters turned to look at him, a confused look on both of their faces.

"What's what?" Piper asked, her eyes narrowing.

Cole stood and walked slowly across the room, seeming to have ignored her question.

He stopped just short of the entrance, turning to face them, and Phoebe could see an idea forming in his head.

"What, baby? What is it?" Phoebe asked, and for the first time today, she saw a ray of hope.

"Piper may be on to something."

Piper turned to Phoebe, still confused. She was about to say something when Cole cut her off.

"What if we can remove the baby from inside of Phoebe? Magically I mean."

Phoebe's face went pale as she considered what he was saying.

She sat back down to avoid fainting and placed a hand on her abdomen.

"Can we do that?" Piper asked.

"Actually, I think we can, but only by using dark magic."

"No, absolutely not." Piper said, her fear of misusing magic kicking in. "We cannot use dark magic."

Cole looked to Phoebe for an answer. She realized it was all up to her, and she bit her bottom lip, unsure of what to do.

She decided she needed more information before a decision could be made.

"What kind of dark magic are we talking about here? Potion? Spell?"

"It's a spell." Cole replied, "I remember seeing it in the Grimoire, but I don't remember the words exactly. I never thought I'd need it for anything."

"And you still don't," Piper informed him, then turned her attention to her Phoebe, "How can you can't even consider using dark magic? There has to be something on this in the book." Piper pleaded with her, but it seemed no use.

Despite what Piper thought, Phoebe was listening. She knew the consequences of using dark magic. She knew the risks. She also knew there was no spell in The Book of Shadows to transfer a fetus. She would have remembered. Still...

A spell. It seemed to simple. There had to be a catch.

"So, we say the spell and that's it? The baby's removed? What, does it just vanish?"

Piper threw her hands up in frustration, amazed her sister was still thinking about this.

Cole thought for a moment, trying to remember how it worked.

"No, I don't think it's as simple as that."

"Of course it's not." Piper said, sarcastically.

Cole ignored her comment and continued, "If I remember correctly, the baby isn't just removed. It's transferred. That means we have to find someone else to carry the baby."

"But what good will that do?" Phoebe asked, "The Source will still be alive. He'll just be living in someone else. That only solves half our problems."

"Not if we transfer the baby to a demoness." Cole said, sparking the sisters' interests. "A demoness we could vanquish."

For the first time since Cole pitched the idea, Piper seemed interested. She was still wary about the repercussions, but this was starting to look like a way out.

However, this was not her decision, nor was it Cole's. It was Phoebe's.

Phoebe sat in silence as they watched her intently. Her future depended on this. Her future with Cole. Surely, he wouldn't have suggested it if he thought it would bring her harm's way. If there was one thing Cole knew how to do, it was how to protect her. With this in mind, she made her decision.

"I say we give it a shot. It may be our only chance."

Piper knew she was right, but hesitated to say so. They were still treading on rocky terrain, and she the last she needed was to jinx the plan.

She folded her arms over her chest, directing her attention back to Cole, "Ok, so how do find this demoness?"

"It should be fairly easy actually. We need a weaker lower lever demon who will be easier to vanquish, so finding her will also be easier." He motioned to the stairs, "We could probably just look in the book for a basic summoning spell."

Phoebe got up and stood at Cole's side.

"Ok, but once she's here, how do we transfer the baby? We don't have the spell, and I can't write my own version. It doesn't work like that."

Phoebe's spell writing skills were far above par, but her good nature and lack of experience in black magic made it impossible for her to write a basic dark arts spell, let alone something this complex.

"You won't have to write a spell. You have The Grimoire don't you? You can read the spell from that."

Piper looked discouraged. "We got rid of The Grimoire."

"What? Why?" Cole asked, his voice tinged with anger.

"Because it's evil that's why," Piper said, matching his tone. "We tried to destroy it, but that didn't work, so Leo just orbed it someplace far away."

Cole let out a sigh of relief. At least they hadn't destroyed it. There was still hope.

"Well, than get Leo in here and tell him to get it back."

Piper didn't like dragging her husband into this, but she realized that it was necessary.

"Leo!" She called, "Could you come here for a second?"

Footsteps approached, and Leo soon came into view. He walked right past Cole and over to Piper, stopping in front of her with his hands on his hips.

"What's the problem?"

Wanting to tell him everything, but not having the time or the patience, Piper just stated matter-of-factly, "I need you to go and retrieve The Grimoire."

"What? Why?"

Piper shook her head. "I don't have time to explain. I know it sounds crazy, but trust me. I know what I'm doing."

A mixture of confusion and concern was etched into Leo's face as he disappeared in a swirl of blue.

"This better work." Piper added to Cole after Leo had vanished.

-------------------------------------------------

"I can't believe you guys are asking for my help." Paige said, pacing the attic floor.

"I mean, vanquishing demons to protect the family is one thing, but having to summon one just so we can kill it because _someone_," She stopped pacing and glared at Cole, "had to use 'instant source spawn' potion on his wife!"

Cole looked affronted. "How many times do I have to tell you people that it wasn't me? It was The Source!"

"Same difference," Paige shrugged.

Piper stepped in on Cole's defense. "See, this is why Phoebe didn't want to tell you what was going on. She knew you'd react like this."

Paige looked to Phoebe who just shrugged it off, getting up from the couch to check The Book of Shadows.

Paige rolled her eyes, folding her arms across her chest. She sighed, knowing an apology was in order.

"Fine, whatever." She turned to Cole, dropping her arms at her side. "I'm sorry that you were possessed by The Source and that you killed so many innocent people, but all that aside, I'm willing to help you fix this mess you've made."

Cole nodded and verbalized his thanks, assuming that that was Paige's form of an apology.

He walked over to the podium to see what Phoebe was up too, and he watched as she flipped through the thick pages, stopping suddenly on a short entry entitled ZORA.

"Perfect," Phoebe said, pointing at the page.

As she left to grab a pen and pad, Cole moved closer to read the small paragraph.

"What? What did you find?" Piper moved to stand at Cole's side.

"Zora, a lower level demoness with the power to morph into any human, animal, or object she chooses. More advanced than an average Chameleon demon, but not a major threat. She lives above ground, and works as a spy. Factions pay for her services with souls which she feeds on for survival. She can be summoned using a basic summoning spell."

Paige made her way to the door. "Ok, well I'll go get the crystals. Even if she is lower level, we can't risk her attacking us while we say the spell."

As she left, Phoebe, who had finished writing the summoning spell, ripped off a copy and handed it to Piper.

"We shouldn't need the Power of Three, but just in case."

Piper nodded, folding the paper and tucking it into her pants' pocket.

"Speaking of spells," she said, "Have we found the transfer spell in The Grimoire yet?"

"Not yet," Leo said, still carrying the burlap sack. "It's kind of hard to look through a book I can't even touch."

"Good point." Piper said, taking the sack from Leo and dumping its contents on the floor. Unfortunately, the big, black book remained shut as it landed with a loud thump.

Piper stared intently at The Grimoire, willing it to open. "Now what are we going to do? None of us can touch that thing."

Realizing that staring would get her nowhere, she looked up at Cole who stood silently at the podium.

"Why didn't you think of that before I had Leo orb halfway around the world to get this stupid thing?"

Cole was tired of constantly being accused.

"Hey, you didn't think of it either. Besides," he said, moving toward Piper, "I can."

He stopped just short of The Grimoire, reaching to pick it up.

"No!" Phoebe stopped him. "You're not a demon anymore. You're human now, remember?"

Of course he remembered. How could he forget? He hated being human, powerless, defenseless, and weak, but it was worth it if it meant he could have Phoebe. Phoebe made everything worth it.

"True, I'm not Balthazor anymore, and I don't have any powers," he said with slight frustration, "But I'm still a demon. It's in my genes. You can't change that."

With that, he reached back down to grab the book, opening its cover as soon as it was safely in his arms.

"See?"

Phoebe let out a sigh of relief and walked over to her husband's side.

"See anything?'

"Not yet."

He continued to flip through the pages, which Phoebe noticed were black. It really was the anti-Book of Shadows.

Paige reentered, holding the box filled with the crystals. She set them down on a side table and made her way over to the center of the room where everyone was gathered around The Grimoire. Piper, Leo, and Paige were trying to sneak a peak without getting shocked, while Phoebe on the other hand, had turned away. She was suddenly beginning to doubt the plan, and she wasn't sure if she could go through with it.

After a minute of two of searching, Cole announced triumphantly, "Found it!"

Everyone moved in response, adjusting themselves to get a better view.

"This spell's written for the one who the baby's being transferred to to say," Paige said, looking concerned. "Something tells me Zora's not going to say this spell willingly, especially if we lock her in a crystal cage."

"Maybe we can trick her into saying it, use a little persuasion."

Paige looked at Piper with raised brows.

"What? It could work, and if it doesn't, we'll just reword the spell, so we can say it."

"I don't know," Phoebe said, expressing her doubts.

"Well I do," Piper assured her, "This will work. We will have a nice, Source free existence."

"But what if we already have that?"

"What do you mean?" Piper asked, confused by her sister's sudden change of heart.

"I mean, what if this baby isn't The Source at all and we're just jumping to conclusions. For all we know, this could truly be our baby," Phoebe said, indicating Cole. "How do we know it's evil?"

Paige tried to ease the tension with a joke, "Well, of course it's evil. It's Cole's son isn't it?" Her comment wasn't received quite as she'd hoped.

"That's it!" Phoebe screamed, grabbing The Grimoire from Cole. She advanced on Paige, rasing the book, about to strike. Paige cowered back and orbed out just as Phoebe brought the book down on where her head had been moments before.

When she reappeared, she slowly stood, watching Phoebe warily. The room became still. Every stood in silence, stunned looks on all their faces.

"Ooookaaay," Piper said, never taking her eyes off Phoebe or the book. "Well I guess that answers your question."

Phoebe's face dropped in horror as she realized what she'd just done.

"Oh, my God, Paige, I'm so sorry," she said, moving forward to hug her bewildered sister.

Phoebe, so shook up herself, failed notice The Grimoire still tucked under her arm. She was inches away from Paige when the book gave off a bright light, sending the whitelighter flying across the room.

Phoebe gasped.

"Oh, Paige, I'm sooo sorry. I really am!"

Paige groaned, rubbing her lower back.

"It's ok." She said with a wince.

Phoebe tried to help her up, but Paige stopped her with a hand.

"No! That's ok. I can manage."

She pushed herself up off the floor, glaring at Cole as if the book's attack was somehow his fault.

"Ok, let's get this thing over with." she said, rejoining the group.

Piper reached into her pocket to retrieve the summoning spell Phoebe had given her.

Cole and Leo moved aside, making room for the sisters. After handing the book back to Cole, Phoebe stood next to Piper in fear that the baby might lash out at Paige again. They needed everything to run smoothly for this to work. Piper held out her copy of the spell for Paige to read, and the three of them chanted.

"_Magic forces black and white_

_reaching out through space and light_

_be she far, or be she near_,

_bring us the demoness Zora here._"

A white funnel cloud formed on the carpet, swirling for only a moment or two before a young blond clad in black leather emerged from the smoke.

Her expression was that of shock and confusion. She recognized the three women standing in front of her. They were the Charmed Ones. The protectors of innocents. What did they want with her?

She opened her mouth to ask, but the one in the middle spoke first, "Ok, here's the deal."

The witch began to move towards her, so she took a step back. Looking around, she could see she was clearly outnumbered. Attacking would be foolish, so she went on the defensive instead.

"We want to offer you the opportunity of a lifetime."

She listened carefully, keeping her eyes on Piper the whole time.

"How would you like to be The Source's mommy?"

Now she knew this was a joke. She could tell by the tone of her voice.

"The Source is dead," she spat, correcting their error.

"Uh huh," the witch continued, "See, that's what we thought too." She turned to one of her sisters standing behind her. The one who looked more similar, with the same brown hair and tan complexion. "That is, until we discovered that my sister here is in fact carrying The Source's heir inside of her."

Zora looked at Phoebe once more, studying her . She was small, barely over five feet. Her short legs were accentuated by the long blue skirt she wore. Her orange tank top was exposing ample cleavage.

'_At least she's got it where it counts'_ Zora thought, but she was still unable to believe that this petite witch could be holding something so powerful inside of her.

"As you can imagine, we aren't too happy about the situation," Piper moved closer still, trying to prove a point. "We don't want The Source, but we know there are those out there that do, so we've decided to give them what they want. That's where you come in."

Zora remained wary, but she _was_ slightly intrigued.

"All you have to do is read this spell from The Grimoire here."

Piper indicated the page that Cole held open for her.

"And just like that, the baby's yours."

The room became silent as Zora contemplated her choices.

"How do I know this isn't a trick? How do I know you won't just kill me as soon as I say the spell."

"You don't." Piper stated simply, "You just have to trust us."

This was just too much for the demonesss to handle. She had been halfway across the country one minute, spying on the CEO of a major corporation, the next, she was in the Charmed One's attic listening to them pitch some crazy story about the dead Source.

"Right," she said, as she formulated an escape.

"I'm just supposed to believe that the Charmed Ones want to help me. Well, guess what? I don't."

She started to shimmer, but luckily Piper was close enough to grab her arm, stopping her from leaving.

As soon as she came back into full view, Piper froze her with a quick flick of her wrist.

"I knew it wouldn't work."

Piper turned to Paige.

"You, set up the crystals."

Then, to Cole, "You, read the spell."

"Who, me?"

"Yes, you."

"Piper, I can't read the spell. I don't even have basic powers anymore." He said, frustrated with the fact that he had to constantly remind them of his humble human state.

"Then what are we going to do? None of us can read the spell. We can't risk turning evil."

Cole looked to Phoebe and Piper followed suit. Soon, all eyes were on her.

"Me? Why me?"

"Because you already have evil growing inside of you,f" Leo explained, "That's why you can touch the book in the first place. Unlike your sisters, you have nothing to lose."

She nodded, taking her place in front of The Grimoire. Cole smiled down at her, assuring her that it was alright.

Once the crystals were in place, Paige stepped back while Piper unfroze Zora.

Using her momentary confusion to their advantage, Phoebe began to recite the spell.

"_Give her strength_

_and give her might_

_to steal this child_

_in still of night._

_Darkest forces_

_let it be. _

_Hear my plea,_

_bring life to she!"_

The moment the last words left her lips, the baby emerged from her stomach in a stream of white light, settling in Zora's.

"What the?"

Zora looked down at her stomach in horror. They all watched as the baby made it's way to settle in her womb. You could see it's movements through the skin of her exposed midriff.

Without hesitation, Piper grabbed both her sisters' hands and began the spell to vanquish The Source.

"_Prudence, Patricia, Penelope, Melinda."_

Phoebe continued with the next line.

"_Astrid, Helen, Laura, and Grace."_

Flames appeared around Zora's feet, engulfing her. The flames grew higher as Paige continued,

"_Halliwell witches stand strong beside us."_

Now the flames came up to her shoulders, and they finished in unison.

"_Vanquish this evil from time and space."_

With that, the demoness exploded in a giant ball of flame that sent a sonic wave throughout the attic, breaking the stain glass windows.

All that remained was a small, dark scorch mark on the circle carpet.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as silence settled in.

They had done it again. They had vanquished The Source.

-------------------------------------------------------------

**Liljdpegasuschic160: **This ending's a little more resolute, but I'm sure you all still have burning questions that need answering. Like I said, the happiness will come with time. Phoebe & Cole will have a future. Speaking of the future...the future of this story is up in arms. I'm still going to write it, don't get me wrong. It's just that I'm not sure when I'm ending it. Ideally, I'd like to take this all the way to season 8, but as you can imagine, that's a big task. I'm not sure if I'll have the time, but that's what I'd really like to do. If I seem to have a steady flow of readers and if you guys are enjoying it, then I will definately consider going ahead with that plan. If it seems like people are getting bored with it, or if I just loose readers all together, then I'll cut it short and wrap it up some other way. So, I guess ultimately it's up to you guys...make me or break me...Until next time...


	4. Chapter 4: Fifth Time's a Charm

**Liljdpegasuschic160:** WARNING! This chapter gets a little frisky (if you know what I mean). It's nothing much I'm afraid, but I must warm you nonetheless. It's rather fluffly, but there are still some sad elements to it. That's about all I have to say about this chapter, it's pretty self explanitory.

Read, Review, & Enjoy!

**Third Time's a Charm**

Chapter 4: Fifth Time's a Charm

That night, Phoebe lay sobbing softly to herself while Cole held her close. She felt protected with his strong arms wrapped around her as he whispered soothing words in an attempt to try and calm her.

'_At least I still have Cole_,' she thought, trying to stay positive. If she had had to vanquish him as well, she knew she would've ended up a Furie like her sister months before, desperate, lost, and angry at the world. Luckily, she was none of those things. She was just sad, disappointed and sad. Those were emotions she knew she could handle, and Cole's presence made it that much easier. It comforted her to know that he was going through the same thing, well not exactly the same, he hadn't carried the child inside of him for almost two months, but he had loved the baby all the same.

She would never forget the look on his face when she told him that she was expecting, the look of complete and utter shock. As she remembered, a smiled formed on her lips, putting her somewhat at ease. Cole smiled too, noticing the change in Phoebe's expression.

He hadn't taken his eyes off her since they had climbed into bed, worried he might lose her too. It was a foolish notion, but he couldn't help it. The more he thought about the past few days, the more he realized how lucky he truly was, and how he should not take anything for granted.

Yet again, he had come dangerously close to losing his wife completely. If she had carried that baby to full term, it would've destroyed her. Even more than losing him now.

He thought back to the night he had rid himself of The Source's powers. If Phoebe would've stopped the wizard from taking them, he wouldn't be in lying in bed with her, thinking about the future. He more than likely would not be thinking at all. Either Phoebe and her sisters would have vanquished him on the spot, or worse, Phoebe would've given in to The Seer's trickery, sacrificing the life she loved to be with him, to be his queen. He shuddered at the thought, causing Phoebe to turn her head towards him to see what was the matter.

"Are you cold?" she asked, sniffling, her eyes still wet with tears.

He shook his head, 'No. I'm just thinking about what could have been, if you had listened to The Seer and stopped the wizard. Where would that put us? Would there even be an us? Would there even be a me?' He was looking in Phoebe's direction, but not at her. His eyes were distant as he pondered the possibilities.

Phoebe put a hand on his check, redirecting his gaze.

"Don't think about that." she said. Her heart couldn't take much more pain, and his thoughts alone were sending chills down her spine. "The important thing is that I didn't. The important thing is that we're together now."

Sure, they were together, but at what cost? The family they had fought so hard for was slowly falling apart. Would they make it after all?

"Will we ever make it?" she asked, echoing his thoughts. "Will we ever have a family of own, or is destiny against us? I can't help but feel like there's a dark cloud on our marriage, preventing us from having things like kids..." Her voice trailed off and she shook her head, trying to cast out her negative thoughts.

Cole knew it was time to come clean. He'd been doing that a lot lately, and it wasn't easy. Telling your wife about the things you did while you reigned as The Source of all evil never was. He mentally laughed, realizing just how many crazy turns his life had taken in the past few years. For starters, getting married to a Charmed One was defiantly not on his original to-do-list.

"Phoebe, there's something I need to tell you."

'_Oh no_,' she thought, holding her breath. She closed her eyes, hoping with all her heart that it wasn't more bad news, but she'd learned the hard way to expect the worse. Bracing herself, she opened her eyes once more, making instant contact with Cole's blue ones. Despite the situation, his eyes remained calm, serene, and almost godlike. She became transfixed, staring into their endless depths until his equally mesmerizing voice brought her out of her reverie.

"The tonic wasn't only reason the baby turned out evil."

"What do mean?" Now she was scared, considering the possibility that his demonic half might prevent them from having anything but evil children. '_No_,' she thought, pushing the idea out of her mind as quickly as it had come. '_Cole has proven that he can control his evil side, and any kids we might have would only be a quarter demon. They could learn to control it too, but if it wasn't that, then what?'_

Cole sat up, leaning against the headboard and using his pillow as a back rest. Phoebe copied his movements, propping her pillow next to his and resting her head on his shoulder for comfort. Touching him, feeling his warmth, relaxed her.

"What I mean, is the tonic wasn't The Seer's only scheme to try and corrupt the baby. She said that in order to consider even the possibility of creating an heir, The Source would have had to ensure that we were married in a dark ceremony instead of Holy Matrimony."

"But honey, we weren't married in a dark ceremony. I think I would've remembered. You don't forget your wedding day, especially one as hectic as ours. I know we had to resort to being wed in a graveyard, but that hardly made it a dark wedding...right?"

His silence bothered her.

Lifting her head up, she turned to him, searching his face for an answer, but he wouldn't look at her.

"There are three things that constitute a dark wedding. First, the couple must be married at night, in a cemetery. Secondly, a dark priest must reside over the ceremony."

'_So far, not good._' Phoebe didn't know for sure, but judging by Cole's tone of voice she could safely assume that the priest who had been there that night had indeed been a dark one.

"And the last thing?"

He finally turned to face her, an apologetic look on his face.

"And the last thing you need, is for the groom to drink the bride's blood."

Phoebe looked taken aback. He hadn't drank her blood, had he? That, she _definitely _would have remembered. Her surprise turned to anger when she realized that Cole had worked her up over nothing, but her anger quickly faded and was replaced once more with fear when the truth of the matter dawned on her.

"The rose," she said, barely above a whisper.

Cole nodded and looked away.

"So, what does this mean? Are we not really married?"

He shrugged. "Well, we are legally anyway. We were just never united in Holy Matrimony. So, technically, if we wanted to preform another wedding ceremony we could, and this time make sure it was a white one."

Phoebe cocked her head to the side, a playful grin on her lips.

"Cole Turner, are you proposing to me...again."

"You know what they say. Fifth time's a charm."

He smiled, taking her hands in his.

"We already have the rings, so I won't bother with that, but..." Quickly, he got up and slipped over to her side of the bed, keeling on the floor. The carpet was rough on his bare knees, but he didn't care. Taking her hands in his once more, he looked up into her already beaming face, and they were both reminded of the time he had proposed to her with Grams' cursed ring.

'_I think that was his third proposal,_' Phoebe laughed to herself, wondering how many women could actually say that.

He was still holding her gaze when he started his impromptu speech, "Phoebe Turner, my beautiful wife," he began, and Phoebe couldn't help, but laugh at the use of her already changed surname. "To say we've been through so much together would be cliche, but it's true. In fact, it's an understatement. We've literally been to hell and back, and the truth is, you're the only reason I held on for so long. You're the reason why The Source could never fully break me."

He paused and looked down at the floor, searching for the perfect words.

"I need you," he said at last, surprised by the raspiness of his voice.

"I need you so much it hurts."

Phoebe could feel the tears beginning to form in her eyes and her smile grew even wider.

"So that is why I am here right now, asking you to marry me in_ Holy _Matrimony, so that we can have the life you've always dreamed of. The life that you deserve."

She could control is no longer, and for the second time tonight, she cried, but this time she didn't want to stop.

Pulling him up onto the bed, she kissed him, so passionately that her lips began to burn. He kissed her back, gently placing himself on top of her small, slender body. Suddenly, his need for her turned into a ravenous hunger.

This was his Phoebe, this was his wife, and no force in the world, magical or not, good or evil, would take her away from him _ever_ again.

Now, she was completely his, willing, wanting, and waiting, and both of them had a feeling that they would this would be a night they would not easily forget.

----------------------------------------------------------

The next morning, Phoebe awoke feeling quite rejuvenated. She had no stomach pains and no dizzy spells. She was fine. In fact, she felt better than fine, better than she had been in a long time.

_'Funny how sex can do that to you_.'

She turned to watch Cole's bare back rise and fall with heavy slumber. Both of his arms were raised, his head resting on his overlapping forearms. In this position, the muscles in his shoulders were even more pronounced, and Phoebe felt compelled to wake him up and repeat the events of the night before.

She sighed, deciding to let him sleep.

'_After all he must be exhausted._'

She smiled, recalling his sudden burst of energy.

Last night had definitely been a breath of fresh air. With all the hectic happenings in the past month, the couple had had little time for intimacy, and for Phoebe and Cole, a month was a long time.

She leaned over, placing a soft kiss on Cole's left shoulder, breathing in his scent. She sighed, pulling off the covers and exposing her bare body to the cool morning air. She shivered, picking up her pace as she headed to the bathroom.

After a long, warm shower, she headed back into her bedroom wearing nothing, but a soft, white towel.

She scooted out butt first, closing the door quietly in front of her, and as soon as it clicked, she felt a pair of hands wrap around her waist.

She gasped, surprised by the sudden contact.

"Morning." Cole exhaled, puller her closer and smelling her freshly cleaned hair.

She had to turn and crane her neck to look at him, so instead she simply tilted her head back to rest on his chest.

She could feel his skin against her bare back, and she knew he had yet to dress.

"Morning." she replied.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, giving her a quick kiss on the neck.

"Amazing."

"That good, huh?"

"Well," she said in contemplation, "not half as good as I felt last night."

She could feel Cole smile against her cheek, his breath was warm against her face.

"Really? I didn't think you enjoyed it." He teased, kissing her neck once more, this time more ardently.

She grinned, trying to suppress a giggle as he continued to pay special attention to her neck. Knowing she wouldn't be able to keep her cool much longer, Phoebe broke free of his embrace, giving him a playful nudge as she passed him on her way to the closet.

She had only been there a second, rummaging through her impressive clothing collection, when, yet again, he approached her from behind, almost tackling her in the process.

"Cole! What are you doing?" She laughed, swatting at his arm.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're trying to avoid me."

She turned to face him, not hesitating to give his naked body a quick once over.

"Well, maybe because I am. I'm trying to get ready for work, and I can't do that if you're distracting me with...this."she said, indicating his nude state.

His wrinkled his brow, and pouted his lips slightly.

"Now, I'm hurt."

She sighed, unable to resist the adorable look on his face, and wrapped her arms around his sturdy waist.

"I'm sorry," she said, in a fake baby voice. "What can I do to make it up to you?"

He lifted his eyebrows mischievously. "I can think of a few things."

She smiled sinfully up at him, pulling him down into a fiery kiss.

Without interrupting their embrace, Cole bent his knees and curled an arm under Phoebe's legs, scooping her up and carrying her over to their bed.

He brought her down onto the mattress, careful not to bump her head.

Phoebe squirmed underneath him as one hand slowly removed the towel she was wearing, and a moan escaped her lips as he deepened their kiss. Soon, she felt his body on hers, chest to chest, skin on skin.

She pulled back suddenly, gasping for breath. Cole started to advance again, but she placed her hands on his broad chest, pushing him away.

He gave her a confused expression, and he was clearly upset.

"Not right now, Cole," she said, sitting up and fixing her hair. "I have to get to work, and you need to start getting ready as well."

She pointed a finger at him as she continued his scolding.

"We can't afford to live on my salary alone. I need you to keep this job."

"Demanding. I like it." He growled, pushing her back down onto the bed.

Phoebe couldn't help, but laugh. "Cole! I'm being serious!"

"So am I," he stated simply, before attacking her throat with his mouth.

As much as she needed to leave, Phoebe couldn't manage to make herself move. Cole's tongue on her neck was enough to paralyze her completely, not to mention the things he was doing with his hands.

"Fine," she sighed, giving in at last. "But if I'm late for work, it'll be all your fault."

"No it won't," he muttered, between kisses. "No one's making you stay."

He abandoned her neck and slowly made his way down her flat stomach, and back up tp her breasts.

"We can stop whenever you want. I don't mind."

As he continued to kiss her chest, one of his hands moved down her frame, finding her soft spot and sending chills down her spine.

He was making it impossible for her to leave, and he knew that. He always knew how to push her buttons.

"Well, I do," she said at last, wrapping her legs around his waist, pulling him closer.

Phoebe couldn't see it, but Cole had a satisfied smirk on his face. He knew he had won.

Phoebe scurried into her office as quickly as she could, attempting to avoid her boss' stare, but no sooner had she shut the door behind her, when Elise walked in, looking stern.

"Where have you been?"

Phoebe bit her bottom lip, frantically trying to come up with a good excuse. For the most part, Elise understood her need for a flexible schedule, letting her leave early or arrive late in case of a 'family emergency', but Phoebe doubted she would let this one slide.

"Elise, I can explain," Phoebe began, setting down her bag and taking a seat at her desk.

"You better be able to explain, because this is the third time in the last month you've arrived more than a half hour late. I'm not paying you to sleep in."

'_I was hardly sleeping._' Phoebe thought, resisting the urge to say it aloud.

"Look, Elise, I'm sorry. I really am. It's just been really hectic lately with my pregnancy and all, and with losing the baby..."

Elise's angry expression changed to one of sympathy. Phoebe knew it was a low blow, appealing to Elise's conscious like that, but she couldn't afford to lose this job, or experience a pay cut. Plus, it wasn't like she was making up some sob story for an excuse, it really did happen, and even though it kind of just came out, deep down she wanted someone to know. She needed all the support she could get.

"You miscarried? "

Phoebe nodded, mournfully, suddenly regretting her decision to tell anyone.

"We found out last night."

"I'm sorry Phoebe. I didn't know."

"It's ok. You have reason to be upset with me. I'll be the first to admit that my work ethic is lacking at times."

Elise shook her head. "No Phoebe. Don't worry about it. You always have the column in on time, and that's what counts."

Elise's sudden change of heart had Phoebe worried. _'I hope this doesn't qualify as personal gain.'_

"Besides,you do wonders for circulation. Take it easy, ok? Just make sure you have the column in before you leave today."

Phoebe nodded, and Elise headed out, leaving her to her work.

--------------------------------------

It was mid afternoon, and Phoebe had only more letter to answer before she edited her rough draft and turned it into Elise.

Suddenly, the phone on her desk sounded, and she picked it up absent-mindedly, typing in the last few words of her sentence.

"Hi, you've reached Phoebe Halliwell of The Bay Mirror's Ask Phoebe, how may I help you? Oh, hey Piper! What's up?"

She continued to type as Piper talked on the other end.

"_Hey, just calling to see how you're doing...How are you feeling?_"

Phoebe stopped to answer, turning in her chair and resting her elbows on her cluttered desk.

"Better. It'll take some time, but I'll be okay."

"_Did you sleep ok last night?_"

Phoebe smiled and leaned back in her chair.

"Well, not exactly. Cole and I talked about some stuff, and one thing led to another, and..."

"_Gotcha. No need to explain, SO I see you're back at work._"

"Yeah, it's nice actually. Not just losing the pregnancy pains, but having something to busy myself with..."

"_That's good. I'm glad you're doing ok."_

Both were silent for a moment, and the only thing that could be heard was the tapping of Phoebe's fingers on her desk. She glanced down, noticing the familiar ring on her left hand.

"Oh, hey! I almost forgot! Can I stop by tonight? Cole and I have something we want to tell you, and it's too important to do over the phone."

"_Again? Weren't you just here yesterday with life altering news?_"

"Yeah, but this time it's good news."

"_Alright I'll warn Paige._"

Phoebe rolled her eyes, "Cole won't be coming. He has to work."

"_That's fine._ _Just call me before you stop by, okay?_"

"Ok, I will."

"_See ya, Pheebs_."

"Bye."

After returning the phone to the receiver, Phoebe continued her work on her column, but trying to concentrate was almost impossible. The thought of telling her sisters about Cole's proposal was making her more anxious by the second.

Another half hour had passed before Phoebe was able to print her final copy. She was just about to get up and take the finished column to Elise when Cole unexpectedly entered the room, holding a bouquet of assorted flowers.

"Cole," Phoebe said, surprised by the visit, "What are you doing here?"

Column in hand, she stood, and in four quick strides, she was standing in front of her husband with her arms outstretched.

He bent over, giving her hug while trying not to smash the flowers he was holding.

"Well, I'm not working on any particular case right now, so I don't have to stay at the office for the full ten hours, so I thought I'd drop by and see if you wanted to go out dinner. Are you almost finished here?"

"Yeah, actually, I am. You have perfect timing. I was just about to hand the column in."

She raised her hand, showing him the papers.

"Let me go give these to Elise, and then we can go."

He nodded, moving aside to let her pass.

When she returned, he handed her the flowers, smiling like a love struck teenager.

"Thank you Cole. They're beautiful,"she said, smelling them and smiling back.

"I wanted to get the bride-to-be a little something."

She hugged him again, longer this time, unable to let go.

Cole made the initiative to break the embrace, kissing Phoebe quickly on the forehead before saying, "As much as I'd love to stay here like this, we should probably get going if we want to avoid traffic."

She agreed, taking his hand in hers, and heading for the door.

-------------------------------------------------

They had only been driving for a few minutes when Phoebe remembered that she had told Piper she'd stop by later. Taking out her cell, she dialed the number to the manor, and Leo answered after only a few rings.

Cole glanced over, curious as to who she was calling.

"Hey Leo!" Phoebe said, answering Cole's unspoken question. "Is Piper there? No, that's ok. You don't have to get her. Just tell her that Cole and I are on our way over. Yes, Cole. Ok, thanks Leo. See you soon."

She snapped her phone shut, and tucked in back into her purse.

"Do you think we could stop be the manor on the way to the restaurant? I want to tell everyone about our 'engagement'."

"Do I really have a choice? It sounded to me like we're going whether I want to our not."

Phoebe understood his reasons for being upset. Cole liked to have the final say in everything, but right now she didn't care. She had to see her sisters and tell them about his proposal. She was far too excited to let his negativity get to her.

"Cole, please don't be mad. Now's not the time. Besides, aren't you excited to tell everyone about us?"

She reached over, giving his hand a apologetic squeeze.

Cole sighed, and looked over at his wife fondly, knowing he had lost the battle.

"If you're excited, I'm excited."

That wasn't exactly the answer she wanted to hear, but it was good enough for now.

---------------------------------------------------------

"I'll get it!" Paige shouted up the stairs as she made her way to the double doors.

"Phoebe!" She said, with a smile, seeing her sister on the other side, but her smile quickly faded. "Cole? What are you doing here? I thought you had to work."

"No, lucky for you, I got out early," he teased, flashing Paige a smile as he passed her and entered.

"Are Piper and Leo home?" Phoebe asked, looking around the empty manor.

"Yeah, they're upstairs. Let me go get them." Paige started to climb the large wooden staircase when Piper came into view with Leo walking shortly behind.

"Hey Pheebs. What's up? You said you had something to tell us?" Piper asked, slowly descending.

Once everyone was gathered in front hall, Phoebe made sure she had everyone's attention.

"Everyone, I have an announcement to make."

Leo and Piper exchanged glances, and Paige looked nervously at the floor.

"Cole and I have decided to get married."

Paige's eyes darted up, her brows furrowing in confusion. Piper left Leo's side and moved closer to Phoebe to inspect her more carefully.

"Are you feeling alright?" Piper asked. her eyes narrowing.

"Yeah, am I missing something?" Paige said, "Because last time I checked, you two were already married."

Phoebe nodded, "That's what I thought too, but according to Cole our wedding didn't count."

Their silence was an indication that they were still just as lost, so she continued with her explanation.

"We were married in a dark ceremony."

Piper looked to Leo for clarification.

"What does that mean?"

"It means that any children that may come from their union will be more vulnerable to dark magic, and therefore more likely to turn evil."

Everyone looked to Cole, but he remained silent, pretending to ignore their inquisitive stares.

"Leo's right. That's why we need to do this." Phoebe sighed, "I don't want a replay of last night, and our wedding is the reason the baby turned out like it did."

"Wait a minute," Piper cut in, "I thought the baby was evil because of The Seer's tonic."

"Well, that too," Phoebe admitted.

"Wow, a dark wedding, an evil tonic, and Cole as a father? That poor baby didn't stand a chance."

Cole glared at Paige and Phoebe gave him a slight nudge, warning him to keep his cool.

"So, you're getting married...again?" Piper asked, still unsure of the whole situation.

"Yes, we are." Phoebe nodded. "No need to rush, but eventually, yes. Nothing big mind you, just you guys, and dad, and...well, I still want to give a traditional wedding a shot, so we can't have Mom and Grams come, so..."

"So we'd have to call a church and make reservations, even if it's a small, quick wedding we need a Priest available, and we need to pick a date to make sure Dad can come..." Piper began to trail off in thought.

Phoebe smiled, reaching out to give her older sister a big hug.

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you." Phoebe said, holding Piper close, "I didn't know how you guys would feel about the whole idea. After all, it is a little unconventional. I'm so glad you're willing to help."

"Well of course I'm willing to help. It's your wedding," Piper exclaimed, "Besides, nothing about this family it conventional. As long as it doesn't turn out like the last one, I'll be fine."

Paige nodded. "Talk about a disaster."

Phoebe frowned, pulling away from Piper, "You guys aren't the only ones who don't want a repeat of last time. After all, you weren't unknowingly participating in a demonic ritual with The Source."

Piper looked at Paige. "She's got a point."

"Well," Paige sighed, "It looks like we've got a wedding to plan."

---------------------------------------------------------

**Liljdpegasuschic160: **TA DA! Ok, so not my best work, but it gets the story moving. For any of you that are curious, this is still technically season four before 'Witch Way Now?' Since Phoebe never reigned as Queen of the Underworld, The Source baby in my story was vanquished before the one in the show. See how my little alternate ending changes everything? What have I done? lol So, next chapter will be up whenever...I'm not quite sure when...whenever I get inspired I guess. I have to tell you though, I am MUCH more motivated to wrtite when people review. Thank you sooo much to all of you that do review. I really appreciate it. It's nice to hear what I did well, but it helps even more when you tell me what I do wrong...that way I can improve and write a better story for all of you! If you're not enjoying it, I'm not enjoying it. So, to all those 'mystery readers' I have out there...don't be shy, review. I promise I won't bite!


	5. Chapter 5: Getting Witched

**Liljdpegasuschic160: **WARNING! Warm, fuzzy feelings may result from reading this chapter, so to all you Emos out there, don't say I didn't warn you. )

P.S. Just for you Faerie Dreaming , I added in a scene that I had not originally planned. You'll know what it is when you read it. Let's just say it's Paige's wedding gift to Cole. P

Read, Review, & Enjoy!

**Third Time's a Charm**

Chapter 5: Getting Witched

"Demon!"

"Where?"

"There!" Phoebe pointed, levitating to dodge an energy ball.

Cole looked around helplessly while his wife seemingly battled air.

"How did it get here?"

"I don't know!" Phoebe shouted, jumping again to avoid another energy ball.

Cole wanted to help, but his lack of powers, and his inability to even see the attacker gave him somewhat of a disadvantage. Despite these handicaps, he still had common sense, and he used it to pinpoint the demon's location.

The balcony.

Energy balls continued to appear out of nowhere, and Phoebe continued to dodge them.

Another shot was fired, this time hitting Phoebe in the arm and sending her flying backwards.

Cole ran to her side, wrapping his arms around her unconscious body, trying to shield her from a new wave of energy balls. Quickly deciding that his back was a useless defense, he managed to drag Phoebe behind the couch, causing the stray energy balls to careen into the carpet and leave scorch marks in their wake.

Cole clutched Phoebe's limp body firmly against his chest, and closing his eyes, he heaved in a breath, trying to concentrate.

Leo.

He needed Leo.

With his eyes still shut, he pictured the white lighter in his mind, forcing himself to focus. Once he had a solid image in his head, he called for him, willing him to come. He wasn't one of Leo's charges, but he was a member of his family. He called out again, hoping their bond was strong enough.

Surprisingly, it was.

"Cole, what's going on? You're not one of my char..."

As soon as Leo came into view, an energy ball was thrown in his direction, hitting him squarely in the chest. Cole let out a gasp as he watched Leo explode right there in front of him, but before he could even register what had happened, his brother-in-law reassembled in a cluster of blue lights.

Another energy ball flew toward him, but this time Leo was prepared. He ducked, shielding himself with the same couch Cole and Phoebe were using.

"Phoebe," Leo said, moving to her side.

Raising his hands over her chest, he healed her within seconds.

As the light faded, Phoebe's eyes shot open, revealing to her Cole's smiling face. She smiled back, reaching up to caress his cheek with a loving hand before another stray energy ball brought them back to reality.

She sat up, removing herself from Cole's lap.

After a moment's thought, she turned to Leo, instructing him to find Piper and to orb her to the Penthouse.

Unfortunately Phoebe's current powers were of no help in this situation. Her strongest skill was hand to hand combat, and with the demon hurling energy balls left and right, it would

be difficult for her to get close enough to fight. Even if she took the risk, Cole's instinct would be to protect her, and without his powers he would be even more vulnerable out in the open. She couldn't put him in danger.

A few seconds and a couple of energy balls later, Leo returned with Piper on his arm. Before the demon had time to react, Piper used her hands to blow him up without hesitation.

Cole peered over the couch, in time to see the demon go up in flames. At least, what he assumed was the demon since all he saw was a wall of flames.

As soon as the fire faded and the screams subsided, Piper looked at her sister very confused.

"What was that?"

Phoebe stood, helping Cole up with her.

"A demon," Phoebe said, dusting off her clothes, "Haven't you seen a demon before?"

"Of course I have." Piper answered, slightly annoyed. "I just don't understand. When did demons start attacking at the penthouse?"

"There have been a few attacks since we vanquished The Source, but nothing to worry about. Until now, I've been able to fight them off by myself."

Phoebe ignored Cole's agitated expression and continued, "It's weird though. They've all been the same. It's like the whole group of demons is after us...almost like..."

"A faction." Leo finished for her.

Phoebe nodded, and looked to her husband.

Cole soon realized that all eyes were on him, so he supplied an explanation.

"It was a Occulto demon. They're only invisible to mortals, which means I couldn't see him, and I have a feeling it's no coincidence they keep attacking here. Someone knows I'm still alive, and that I no longer have my powers, which means that they're going to keep sending the Occulto demons after us."

"I still don't understand. How do they find you if you're no longer a demon? I didn't think they could track mortals."

"They can, using more primitive methods, but that's beside the point. When I was...The Source, I often held meetings here with the head of the factions. What _I _don't understand," Cole said, turning to face his wife, his jaw rigid, "Is why I wasn't aware of these demon attacks until now."

Phoebe stared sheepishly at the floor.

"Cole, now's not the time. It's not that important."

"It's very important, dammit!"

The harsh tone in Cole's voice caused Phoebe to look up sharply.

"The only reason an Occulto would attack was if it was ordered to by upper level demon."

Phoebe's calm expression showed she didn't quite grasp the seriousness of the situation.

"Don't you understand? If the demons are working together, it means that The Underworld is starting to regroup, reorganize. Do you understand _that_?"

Leo and Piper exchanged worried glances, and Phoebe leaned into Cole's side, placing an apologetic hand on his shirtfront. Cole took the hand in his own, giving it tender squeeze to show his forgiveness.

He sighed, resting his free hand on Phoebe's soft head of hair.

"You need to tell me about these kinds of things. I may not be able to do much, but I still deserve the right to know."

Phoebe looked up to meet Cole's handsome face.

"I know, but I don't like to worry you. I know how you get, and I didn't want to risk putting you in harm's way."

"I appreciate the thought, but that's not the point. The point is keeping you safe. Although I'm a nice bonus, what they're really after is you."

Piper gave Cole a slight nod in agreement. "If these Occulto demons keep attacking like you say they will, it's not safe for you and Phoebe to be living alone anymore. I think you two should move back into the manor until further notice."

As much as he didn't want to offend, and as much as he appreciated the help, living at the manor was not high on Cole's list of ideas. He opened his mouth to voice his objection, but Leo spoke first.

"Piper's right. The Penthouse isn't safe for you anymore. Now that Cole's human, the demons have the upper hand. We can't risk another incident like this one. You'd be much safer living with us, especially you." He pointed to Cole.

Cole tensed, and Phoebe, sensing this, came to his aid. She knew how hard it was for Cole to be human. He viewed his humanity as a weakness, and in some ways it was, but with his humanity came true freedom. He no longer had to fight the evil lurking inside of him. He no longer had to convince her that he could be good. They were free to trust, to live, and to love, but Cole didn't see it that way.

"Maybe moving in with you guys isn't the best solution. After all, when we first moved in here, Cole was human, and everything worked out fine then."

"Actually, when you moved in here we only _thought _he was human, when in reality he was The Source. The reason that demons never attacked here before is because Cole could conveniently order his little minions not too, but since he is no longer the head of the Underworld, I have a feeling that they'll be less willing to listen to him now."

Cole's face tightened at Piper's words, his lips forming a long, thin line. He released Phoebe, stepping away from the group to mentally sort through his options.

The three others watched him in silence, waiting to hear his response.

Phoebe stopped herself from interrupting Cole's thoughts. After all, it was his idea to move out in the first place, so she would let him decide whether or not to move back in.

However, he took longer than she expected, so she turned her attention to her sister.

"Piper, maybe you and Leo should go. I think Cole needs some more time to think about this. I know this is a big,"

"No, stay," Cole broke in, "I've made my decision."

He sighed, running a set of large fingers through his thick, brown hair, "Phoebe, pack your suitcase."

-------------------------------------------------

"Still nothing." Paige sighed, carelessly flipping through The Book's thick pages. "Piper, we've been at this for three whole weeks. Do you really expect to find anything knew? If The Underworld has a new Source, I think we'd know by now, and no one's targeted Phoebe or Cole in the last two weeks. How am I supposed to find something in The Book if I don't even know what I'm looking for?" She sighed again and tossed her hands up in frustration.

"You're looking for a way to keep Cole safe, so he and Phoebe can move back into the penthouse and out of our lives."

"Geez, Piper. That's a little harsh. I thought I was one with Cole issues."

"You are," Piper said, taking a seat next to Paige on the couch. "But I'm not going to lie and say I like the situation any more than you do. I love Phoebe, and I sure as heck don't hate Cole, but I'm starting to remember why they moved out in the first place."

Just then, Cole's voice resonated through the halls leading up to the attic door.

"Piper?! Paige?! Could you come down here a minute?! It's really important!"

"How important?!" Piper asked, with an equally loud voice.

"More important than anything you could be doing up there!"

Paige stared at Piper with raised brows. "Because he's annoying?"

Piper rolled her eyes, and slipped off the couch, making her way to the door.

"We'll be down in just a minute!" She waited for a reply, but none came, so instead she broke the silence, "No, it's not that," She almost laughed, smiling to herself, "It's more an issue of space, meaning we have none of it."

"That's the understatement of the year..." Paige, mumbled to her self, absent-mindedly flipping a few of the pages.

"I guess, we did handle it before, and everything turned out ok, but what about in the future? What happens when Leo and I...if Leo and I, ever have children? And what about Phoebe and Cole? They'll have kids sooner of later."

"Probably sooner, at the rate their going." Paige said.

Standing, she shut the book, and placed it back on the podium.

"Piper, maybe we should," She turned, but Piper had disappeared. "Wait a minute..."

She dismissed her absence with a shrug of her shoulders, and trudged down the steps after her sister.

When she reached the bottom the of the staircase, she found both of her sisters and their husbands milling around the sitting room.

"So, what's the major dilemma?"

Phoebe shifted in her seat on the couch, allowing herself easy access to the entire group. . "There's nothing wrong. Why?"

"Oh, I don't know. The way Cole was carrying on, it sounded like an emergency."

Phoebe looked to her husband with a suspicious glare.

Cole sheepishly stepped forward, rubbing his hands together in preparation for a speech.

"I wouldn't say it's an emergency, but is something pretty important."

"And what would this important thing be?" Piper asked as she rested her head on Leo's strong shoulder.

Cole took a deep breath, trying to hide his excitement.

"Phoebe, and I are getting married."

Phoebe rose from the couch to stand at Cole's side.

"Cole, honey, they already..."

"Tomorrow." Cole finished, beaming.

Phoebe stopped in her tracks, just short of Cole's tall figure. Her worried expression turned to that of shock.

"What?"

"I've made all the arrangements, the church, the priest, the guests. I called your dad by the way, his flight arrives tomorrow morning. "

"Why?" Phoebe finally managed to say.

"He tried to get the evening flight for tonight, but since it was such short notice..."

"No, I meant, why tomorrow? Are you sure? So soon?"

"The sooner the better, as far as I'm concerned." Cole smiled, closing the gap between them. His smile soon faded when she remained silent. "I thought you wanted this."

"I do." Phoebe assured him, snaking her arms around his waist. "I'm just surprised, that's all. I didn't expect it to happen so soon."

"Well, I figured it be better this way, what, with The Underworld reorganizing and all. I know how much you want a normal wedding, and we can have that. We just need to take advantage of this decrease in demonic activity. If we wait any longer..."

Phoebe nodded and sighed, against his chest. Then, tilting back her head, she pulled him down into a tender kiss.

"You're right." She said, interrupting their embrace, "The sooner, the better."

------------------------------------------

The next morning at the manor was a hushed one.

Cole and Leo had spent that night at the penthouse, ready and waiting for Victor to arrive. Although it was hardly a typical wedding, Phoebe wanted to stick to certain traditions, and kicking the men out of the house was one of them. If anything attacked, Leo could orb Cole to safety and heal him if needed, so they could sleep worry free.

Phoebe sat at her vanity in her white silk pj pants and baby blue cami. Her hair fell haphazardly around her face, curling here and there. She stared at her reflection with a certain vexation, unsure of where to start.

She averted her to attention the short figure fixed in the top of her vanity mirror.

"Need any help?"

Phoebe smiled softly at Piper's reflection.

"Yes, please,." she said, rising from her chair to give Piper a hug. "I don't even know where to start."

Releasing her sister, she held up some strands of her disheveled locks.

"Any ideas?"

"A few." Piper said, "Why, don't you go put on your dress while I go get Paige? I'm sure she'll want to help."

As soon as Piper left, Phoebe took her advice and headed for the closet. She found her dress just as she'd left it, three months earlier, hanging alone in the back.

For some reason or another, which she could not explain herself, she had left the dress at the manor when she moved into the penthouse. Like the manor, the dress held a special place in her heart, so she supposed it fitting that they stay together.

Taking the hanger from the hook, she brought the dress into the light, inspecting it from every angle.

Just then, Piper returned with Paige close behind.

"How can I be of service?"

Phoebe motioned for Paige to step closer, setting the dress on her bed.

"Well, for starters, you can help me get into this thing as easy as possible." Phoebe said, already beginning to undress.

With her clothes gone and proper undergarments in place, Phoebe gingerly stepped into the dress which Paige held open for her.

Once her feet hit the cold, wood, floor, she expertly shimmied her way into the bodice, slipping her arms into the sleeves, and adjusting the off the shoulder look with a few quick tugs. Paige circled behind to zip up the back, careful not to step on the dress's train.

When she finished, Phoebe shuffled over to her vanity to inspect herself in the mirror.

After a moment or two of critical critique, she sighed, "Today of all days, needs to be perfect. I need to be perfect."

"And you will be." Piper assured her, guiding her to the nearest seat. "With our help."

She shot Paige an intuitive stare, and Paige, receiving the mental message, nodded before leaving the room.

"Not, that you'll need much by the looks of it."

Phoebe blushed, shaking off the compliment.

"C'mon, Piper. We both know I'm far from perfect."

"_We_ might know, but Cole doesn't, and that's all that counts."

Phoebe's blush deepened, and her smile grew wide.

"Thank you Piper, for everything. I'm so glad you and Paige could be here for this. I feel bad that I didn't get you gifts like last time, but I didn't expect this to happen so soon."

"Don't worry about it. We didn't expect you to get us anything. This is your day. Speaking of which," Piper said, noticing Paige's return, "Since today is your day, Paige and I decided to get you a little something."

On cue Paige handed Phoebe a small white box, slightly bigger than a cd case.

Phoebe's curious hands opened the lid, revealing the sparkling jewel beneath.

She gasped, lifting it out of the box. Her fingers traced over the small, studded diamonds and sliver frame.

"A tiara." She said "It's beautiful. Thank you."

She turned to her sisters, pulling them into a loving embrace.

"You guys are the best."

Her attention quickly returned to the headpiece, captivated by its effortless beauty.

Piper's voice kept her from falling into a complete trance as she continued to examine her present.

"I know you said that you didn't want a veil this time around, since it's your second wedding and all, but I thought this would be a nice substitute. It's nothing to fancy, but it matches your dress..."

"It's perfect Piper. It really is. Where did you find it?"

"Oh, this little boutique I found off the beaten path. They specialize in this kind of stuff." Paige said, pointing to the tiara in Phoebe's hand, "This is their Cinderella cut."

Paige couldn't help but smile at Phoebe's giddy behavior, knowing Cinderella was her favorite fairytale.

"And the lady working there was really nice. She even let us personalize it a little. See?"

She pointed to the bottom of the tiara, and Phoebe's eyes followed.

A row of triquetras was etched across the silver band, something Phoebe had not noticed until now. She clutched the hairpiece protectively to her chest.

"Shall we get started," Paige said, holding up a comb. "We've got a lot of work to do."

About and hour and a can of hair spray later, Phoebe looked as close to perfect as anyone could look.

They left the front half of her hair straight, including her bangs which were too short to be pulled back, and they curled the rest of her hair, pinning it up in an elegant bun. Last, they added the tiara which sat daintily in front of the updo.

"You look beautiful." Piper said.

Phoebe stood, gathering her sisters together for another hug.

"Thanks to you guys."

As they broke apart, Piper glanced at her watch.

"Are you ready to get this show on the road? The wedding's in two hours."

Breathing deeply, Phoebe nodded.

"Let me just put on some makeup, and I'll meet you guys downstairs."

"You seem really calm." Piper said, "Compared to last time at least."

"Yeah, well, it's a lot different this time. I feel a lot different this time. I've been married to Cole for awhile now, so I know what to expect. Plus, this time I don't have the added stress of my own suspicions. This wedding will be Source free. It's just going to be me marrying the unpossessed man of my dreams."

Paige was glad to see Phoebe so happy. If anyone deserved this wedding, she did, even if it was to Cole.

This thought, suddenly gave her an idea.

"I'll be right back guys. I have some last minute stuff I need to do. Meet you downstairs?"

"Kay," Piper said, watching Paige go. "Just be ready to go in a half hour. We don't know what the traffic will be like."

"Will do."

Once she was out of sight, Paige orbed out of the manor and into the penthouse, finding herself face to face with Leo.

"Paige, what are you doing here? You're supposed to meet us at the church."

"Yeah, I know. I'll be back at the manor in a minute, but first I need to talk to Cole. Is he here?"

Leo said nothing, and his confused expression prompted her to continue..

"I just want to have a little heart to heart. You know how we whitelighters are."

Leo simply nodded, pointing to the bedroom. "He's in there."

Paige approached the door with hesitation, her hand faltering as she knocked twice.

Cole's voice sounded from within.

"Come in!"

Out of nowhere, Paige received a sudden burst of confidence, and she forcefully opened the door.

It swung open to reveal Cole clad only in his boxers and a white dress shirt with which he was currently occupied.

He glanced up from his buttoning in time to see Paige bury her head behind her arms in humiliation.

"Paige!" He exclaimed, more out of surprise than embarrassment. "What are you doing here?"

Before she had time to answer, he rushed over to her side, not bothering to dress.

"Is everything ok? Is Phoebe alright?"

"Yes, Cole," She said, finding some composure, "Everyone's fine. Peachy keen."

Noticing how close and how not clothed he was, she added, "Do, you think you could finish getting dressed before we continue with this conversation?"

"Oh, sure." he agreed after a moment, momentarily forgetting his lack of clothes.

"Thanks."

He walked back over to the bed, grabbing his slacks and sliding them on quickly, along with his belt. He finished buttoning his top, and expertly tucked it into his pants, smoothing out the creases. He kept his cuffs undone, and his suit jacket and bow tie were left strewn on mattress when he turned back to Paige, ready to talk.

"So, if it's not an emergency...why are you here?"

"Oh, c'mon, Cole. You act like it's weird for me to stop by and say hi."

Her comment left him puzzled.

"It is weird. You hate me, remember?"

Page sighed as she moved closer to the bed.

"I don't hate you Cole," she paused, making sure to choose her words carefully, "I just don't agree with the way you handle certain situations."

"It seems to me like every situation," he said, letting out a humph.

"And your attitude doesn't help either."

"Ok, what's this about?"

Paige took a seat on the edge of the bed, and waited for Cole to follow suit.

He stared blankly back, not taking the hint.

She patted the blanket beside her.

"Sit"

"I'd rather stand."

She shrugged.

"Suit yourself."

Cole shoved his hands deep into his pockets, and Paige could tell he was growing irritated.

"Look, I don't really know why I'm here. I just felt...compelled to talk to you. "

She expected him to respond, but when he remained silent, she continued.

"Earlier, when Piper and I were helping Phoebe get ready, I saw how happy she was and I knew...I know it's because of you."

Cole's face softened at her words, and he opened his mouth to respond, but no nothing came out.

Paige took no notice.

"And I know I haven't been that nice to you in the past, but can you blame me?"

Cole assumed her question was rhetorical, and merely shrugged.

"I've only known my sisters for a year now, but I still care for them, and I want them to be happy, and I realize that however much I might disagree with you, and trust me, I do, for some reason you make Phoebe happier than anyone else in the world. She loves you, and if her being with you is what it takes to see her this happy than I guess I'm an official member of the Cole fan club."

"Paige, I..."

Her sudden rambling and sincerity, left him at a loss for words.

She stood abruptly and started to exit, but stopped just short of the door.

"Just take care of her, ok?"

Cole nodded, still surprised by her outburst.

Paige knew it was pointless to ask. If there was one thing good about Cole, it was his love for Phoebe. Even as The Source he couldn't harm her. Knowing this, she nodded back, before disappearing in a cluster of orbs.

"Well that was substantially awkward." Cole thought aloud.

He surveyed the room as if expecting someone else to suddenly appear, but when no one came, he continued to dress. After all, he had a wedding to attend.

-----------------------------------------------

The chapel was small and simple, but beautiful nonetheless.

This time around they did without the abundant flowers, banners, and musicians because to Phoebe they were no longer important.

What was important was that she and Cole were to be wed, in Holy Matrimony.

She stood next to her father, waiting to walk the aisle. Her sisters stood waiting to the right of the Priest with Leo alone on the left. Cole stood dead ahead, never taking his eyes off her's.

Her heart fluttered as she looked into his eyes, barely noticing her feet when they began to walk.

Now, it was just her and Cole.

Yes, simplicity would do just fine.

After walking what seemed like a mile, Victor released his hold on her arm, kissing her softly before joining Leo.

She turned to face Cole, ignoring the Priest's opening words.

Soon, it was time for their vows. Cole went first, and Phoebe noticed him tense, but as soon as he began his speech, his anxiety melted away, leaving nothing but love.

"I, Cole Turner, affirm my love for you, Phoebe Halliwell, as I invite you to share my life. You are the most beautiful, smart, and generous person I have ever known, and I promise always to respect you and love you. I promise to grow along with you and be willing to face change. I will strive to give you the best of myself, while accepting you the way you are. I promise to respect you as a whole person with your own interests, desires, and needs, and to realize that those are sometimes different, but no less important than my own. And finally, I promise to love you in good times and in bad, with all I have to give and all that I am, in the only way I know how -- completely and forever."

Phoebe beamed, completely in bliss. She took a deep breath to hold back her tears, starting her vows before she could cry.

"Cole, today I become your wife and you become my husband. I promise to keep myself open to you, to let you into my innermost fears and feelings, secrets and dreams. With kindness, unselfishness and trust, I will work by your side to create a wonderful life together. The life that _we both_ deserve. You are my best friend, and I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you, and to comfort you, in times of sorrow and struggle. I promise to love you in good times and in bad, when life seems easy and when it seems hard, when our love is simple, and when it is an effort. I promise to cherish you, and to always hold you in highest regard. These things I give to you today, and all the days of our life."

The priest then blessed them, and joining their hands together he asked, "Phoebe Halliwell, do you take Cole Turner as your lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?"

"I do."

"Do you, Cole Turner take Phoebe Halliwell as your lawful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?"

"I do."

The Priest recited more words, but the couple was lost in each other.

When it was finally time to present the rings, Cole took her hand in his.

"I give you this ring to wear with love and joy. As a ring has no end, neither shall my love for you. I choose you to be my wife this day and forevermore."

Phoebe smiled at the familiar feel of the ring on her finger, admiring its beauty.

"I give this ring as my gift to you. Wear it, think of me, and know that I love you." Phoebe said, slipping the silver band onto Cole's large finger.

Cole smiled, wrapping his hand around hers, giving it a warm squeeze. The Priest finished with, "By the exchanging of vows and the giving and receiving of rings you have proclaimed and affirmed your intentions to enter into a sacred union. In recognition of the above, and as a minister of the gospel, and in accordance with the laws and statutes of the State of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Everyone smiled as Cole leaned in and kissed Phoebe passionately, and for a moment they thought he would never stop.

Paige nudged Piper jokingly, rolling her eyes at couple's embrace.

Finally finished, Phoebe & Cole turned to the vestibule, ready to, once again, embark on their walk down the aisle.

The Priest smiled with his arms outstretched and said, "I present to you all, Mr. & Mrs. Cole Turner."

------------------------------------------------------

**Liljdpegasuschic160:** Just so you all know, this chapter was _extremely _difficult for me to write, so some feedback of any kind will be greatly appreciated! My muse slipped away with this one and I want it back! lol Comments always help to inspire. )


	6. Chapter 6: Your Destiny Awaits

**Liljdpegasuschic160:** I know I just updated, but I was on a roll. I came out of my slump rather quickly and regained my friendly muse. I fell like I've been writing nonestop...I have been writing nonstop. Oh, and Faerie Dreaming, I'm sad to say that this particular fic, at this time, does not call for that type of scene...However, I am planning on writing a one-shot some time soon, so be on the look out for that. I have to be in the mood, if you know what I mean. OMG! I just realized I have never put up a disclaimer! So, I'm doing it right now...

**Disclaimer: **I do NOT own Charmed and I am in NO way affiliated with The WB (CW). However, this particular chapter is based off the script for the episode 'Witch Way Now' written by Brad Kern. Some lines are taken directly from the show, and others have been changed to fit my needs. In conclusion, this chapter is mine, but the characters aren't so please don't sue.

I could go back and add a disclaimer into all my previous chapters, but I'm too lazy to do that right now, so this disclaimer up here will count for the first 5 chapters as well. )

Read, Review, & Enjoy!

**Third Time's a Charm**

Chapter 6: Your Destiny Awaits

"I'm serious. If they don't stop this soon, I'm moving into the penthouse." Paige said, looking out the window.

A month had passed since Cole and Phoebe's wedding with little progress on the faction front. Since the couple moved back into the manor, the Occulto demons eventually stopped attacking all together, probably too scared to confront all three witches at once, but this didn't fool the Charmed Ones, they knew it was only a matter of time before they found some other way to sever the power of three.

Their current problem was nothing demonic at all, in fact, it wasn't even supernatural. For the past two days, a hoard of noisy construction workers had been working relentlessly outside of the manor, driving everyone inside insane.

Paige's crack would normally have made Piper smile, but the noise was getting to her as well. Not to mention her frustration with Leo's picture-hanging abilities.

"Even if you wanted to, I don't think you could. Phoebe said Cole's seriously considering giving up the place. It's pointless to waste all that money on rent, and I think Cole's finally coming to the realization that he's not all powerful demon man anymore."

Paige left her spot at the window, taking a seat on the couch to watch Leo's progress.

"This wall's good, but not so low," Piper ordered, "Could you make it a little higher?"

Leo obliged, levitating to reach the desired height before Piper could object to the use of magic.

As he descended, Phoebe entered in a rush, dumping her things on the couch next to Paige.

"We have a problem."

"What kind of a problem?" Piper asked, turning to face her two younger sisters.

"A big problem. Cole just called me at work, and I came home as soon as I heard."

"Heard what?"

"Cole ran into Daryl down at the firm who told him there's an FBI agent named Jackman who's been doing a search on unsolved cases, and apparently, our name came up on too many witness lists, so he's going to put us under surveillance, which means that we have to be extra careful...No magic!" she said, wagging her finger at Leo.

Piper's eyes grew wide and she started to panic.

"So, what does this mean? What does he know?"

"I'm not sure. Cole didn't give me the specifics, but we can ask him when he gets here. He's obviously worried because he called me again on the way home saying he got out of work, and that he'd be home as soon as possible. Maybe he can help. He knows more about these kinds of things. He was a spy long enough to know how they think."

Paige sprang up from her place on the couch, "Guys, do you hear that?"

Piper looked around, and then to Phoebe who shook her head.

"Paige, I don't hear anything."

"Exactly," she said, rushing back over to the window.

Phoebe was about to ask Leo what he thought about their new dilemma, when she noticed his lack of movement.

"Piper?" she asked, pointing to the whitelighter.

"What?"

Piper turned to Leo and her mouth dropped open in surprise.

She put a hand to her lips before slowly forming a sentence.

"Uhh, I didn't do that."

"Hey, guys, could you come here a minute? There something I think you should see."

Paige beckoned them with her arm, her head still stuck under the curtain.

They both dashed over to see what was up, and what they saw left them at a loss for words.

Outside everything had stopped. Birds were mid flight, the men were mid work, and a helicopter was suspended precariously in the air.

"And I_ definitely_ didn't do that." Piper said.

"No, I did."

All three women turned at once in response to the voice.

Phoebe was the first to muster up the courage to speak.

"And you would be?"

"The Angel of Destiny." The old man replied, resting his hands on his rounded belly.

Instinctively, Piper lifted her hands to freeze the intruder, but he remained animate.

"Umm, guys? A little help here?" Piper said, attempting to freeze him again.

"It's no use," The Angel calmly stated, "I am immune to your powers. Not that it matters. I bring you no harm."

"And we're supposed to believe you, why?" Paige said.

"Because I am here for one reason, and one reason only, to give you a chance to change your destiny."

"What do you mean change our destiny?" Piper said, "I thought the only reason we remain witches is to _fulfill_ our destiny?"

"And you have," The Angel informed them, "You have defeated The Source, and in turn fulfilled your destiny much sooner than any of us had anticipated. Because of this, we have decided to offer you a reward."

Phoebe stepped forward.

"What kind of reward?"

"Like I said, a chance to change your destiny. You can continue to live as you have been, as witches, fighting demons and the like, _or_ you can choose to give up your powers and start over again, live normal lives, demon free. We'd wipe the slate clean and no one would come after you again," he paused to take in the sisters baffled expressions, "Well, what do you say?"

"Are you serious? What do we say? I say you unfreeze the whole damn world, and come back again in an hour, better yet a month! You can't just drop in here, unexpected, and ask us if we want to change our lives, our futures, just like that! Even if you are The Angel of Destiny!"

"I don't think you understand just how special this opportunity is."

"No, I understand completely," Piper said, "But that is not the point. The point is, we need some time to think about this, to make our own decision."

Paige gave Piper a skeptical stare.

"What is there to think about? We've made our decision. We'd like to stay the way we are, Charmed." She looked to her sisters. "Right?"

Phoebe sighed, folding her arms over her chest.

"Well, normally I'd say yes, but like he said, this is a special opportunity. It may never come this way again, so since it's here, maybe we _should _talk about it."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this. Phoebe of all people...I thought you love being a witch."

"I did...I do, it's just that, things change."

Piper who had been silently watching her sisters bickering, turned her attention to The Angel.

"Could you excuse us for just a second?"

The Angel nodded and left the room, leaving the girls to sort out their problems.

"Like what?" Paige continued, oblivious to The Angel's departure.

"Like my love life for one. I'm married now, Paige, which comes with a lot of new responsibilities, especially if Cole and I ever plan on having children. I don't want evil popping in and out, threatening the lives of my kids. I'd have to protect them as well as myself. Not to mention Cole, who's human now and completely vulnerable."

"She has a point," Piper said. "Paige, we've been witches a lot longer than you have, and I'm not saying it makes you any less important, and I'm not trying to discount all the good we've done together, and the good we might do, but you have admit that our job comes with a cost. Phoebe might not be able to raise her children, and I might not ever _have_ children because of what we do."

Paige stared dejectedly at the floor. "So what are we going to do?"

"We're going to ask for more time," Phoebe said, moving toward the hall, "Did you hear that? We want more time."

"I heard," The Angel said, returning to the living room, "And I will grant you more time, but you must think about this carefully, the destinies of others depends on you. When I return I will hear you decision. Majority rules. Two sisters will decide the fate of all three, so consider your choice wisely. Perhaps what happens next will help you decide."

"What do you mean, what happens next?" Piper asked, but it was too late.

The Angel disappeared, resetting time as well.

Leo looked around, "Hey, did you just freeze me?"

"No, dear, The Angel of Destiny did."

"Who?"

"The Angel of Destiny." Piper repeated.

"That's what I thought you said." Leo scratched his head in thought, "Why would an angel of destiny come here? What did want from you?"

"He came to give us an offer," Piper said. "We have the choice to either keep our powers and continue with our Wiccan duties,"

"Or," Phoebe chimed in, "We can wipe the slate clean, and live a normal, demon free existence."

Leo held a steady gaze; his face was set and serious.

"Well, what are you going to do?"

"We're going to talk about it later," Phoebe said. "But, for now, we need to focus on getting this federal agent off our tracks, or we're screwed for sure, with our without our powers."

Leo had no time to reply.

"Sorry everybody, I got home as soon as I could."

"Cole, thank God."

Phoebe rushed over to fill him in on the latest news.

His reaction was the same as Leo's.

"Well, what are you going to do?"

Phoebe sighed, "We don't know yet. The Angel of Destiny gave us an extension, so we'd have time to think about it. I was hoping you could help us decide."

Piper turned to Leo.

"How about you? What are your thoughts on all this?"

"I don't think it really matters," Leo said, stepping forward, "This is your destiny at stake, not mine. It's not my place to interfere. Whatever you decide, I'm behind it all the way, as your whitelighter, and as your husband."

Cole nodded. "I agree with Leo. This decision has to be made by the three of you, not us."

"Whatever we do decide, we're not deciding it now, so Leo why don't you orb up there and talk with The Elders to make sure this Angel guy is really who he says he is."

Leo obediently followed his wife's command, leaving the rest of them to deal with Agent Jackman.

"So, Cole, what else can you tell us about this FBI agent? Exactly how much does he know?"

"I'm not sure," He told Piper, "He might not know anything at all. We just have to make sure he never finds out."

"Well, how are we going to do that? How are we supposed to come to a decision about our destiny if we have to worry about certain words like angel, creeping into the conversation?"

Cole thought for a second.

"The three of you have been home all day right?"

"Yeah," Paige said, "Well, Piper stopped by the club earlier this morning, and I took a quick trip to the store for a to pick up some groceries, but other than that..."

"So, at least one person's been home all day?"

"Yeah, I guess so...why?"

"Because if that's the case, than Jackman would have had no time to sneak in and bug the house."

"Meaning?"

"It means that if he wants to listen in, he's got to be doing it from outside." Phoebe said, moving over to the windows.

"Precisely," Cole said, joining her, "So now, all we have to so is figure out where he is," he glanced over his shoulder at Paige, "Have any of these guys been acting suspicious?"

She shrugged, "Not really, but then again I haven't really been looking. Construction workers aren't my type."

Cole rolled his eyes.

"That's fine. He might not even be here yet. I only talked to Daryl an hour ago."

He grabbed the nearest chair and set himself down, pulling the curtains aside to get a better view of the street.

"I'm going to sit here awhile and see if anyone shows up. I'll call you if anything happens."

Phoebe nodded, taking Paige's hand and guiding her upstairs. She motioned for Piper to follow.

Once in the attic, Phoebe quickly scanned the room to make sure no one was watching. When she was sure they were alone, she turned to her sisters, her hands on her hips.

"Leo hasn't confirmed if this angel guy is real or not, but I think we should still think about what he's offering before it's too late. Jackman could be here any minute and we're running out of time."

Piper folded her arms over her chest, widening her stance.

"Ok, well where do you want to start?"

"I think we should let Paige start, since she seemed opposed to us earlier."

Paige needed no prompt, starting to rant as soon as Phoebe was done.

"I just don't understand why you're both so willing to give up your powers. I know you've been doing this longer, and I know the costs, but if it hadn't of been for those costs, I wouldn't be here. I'd still be living the normal nine to five life, oblivious of my true destiny. Piper, you said it before, when you look back on those 'normal days' you feel like you were a complete and total fraud. Don't you see? This is what we're meant to be, Charmed."

"Yeah, but for how much longer?" Phoebe said, running a hand through her hair, "You can't expect to keep doing this for the rest of our lives, Paige. I don't know about you, but when I'm seventy, I'd like to spend my time enjoying my retirement, not chasing after demons to protect my grandkids."

Piper stepped in.

"Well remember what The Angel said, what happens next may help you decide. Maybe we're supposed to let the events of the day unfold to make our decision easier."

"Maybe," Phoebe said, barely above a whisper.

The three stood in silence, staring at the floor when Cole called out from downstairs.

"Phoebe!"

Phoebe made her way over to the attic door, pulling it open and sticking her out into the hall.

"What is it Cole?"

"You might want to come down here a minute. I think I found something."

Phoebe motioned for her sisters to stay, saying she'd be right back.

When she reached the bottom of the staircase, she saw no sign of Cole. Heading into the living room, she found him just as they'd left him.

"What is it? Did you see Jackman."

"Not exactly, but I have a hunch on where he is."

"And?"

"See that phone company van over there?" he asked, pointing out the window and across the street.

"You think he's in there?"

"It looks like our best bet. It drove up a few minutes ago, and just parked. Nobody came out to set up any cones, or even survey the road for that matter."

"So, what do we do?"

"He probably has all the equipment set up in that van, which means he'll have a good read on the entire house, but the main frequencies would travel through the highest point."

"The attic."

"Right, so if we set up some kind of diversion up there we might be able to block a good chunk of his signal."

"I've got an idea." Phoebe said, turning to head back upstairs.

Cole followed.

"What are you doing with that?" Piper asked Phoebe who was carrying her boombox.

"I am making sure that our secret stays just that."

She set the cd player on a table near the window, turning it on full blast, and Bittersweet Symphony reverberated throughout the attic and most of the upstairs.

"I think," Paige shouted, trying to be heard above the noise, "You're trying to make us all deaf!"

Phoebe smiled triumphantly and marched down the stairs.

Everyone else followed.

"That should jam his frequencies for awhile," Phoebe said, hopping down the last flight.

Cole wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close for a congratulatory squeeze.

"I think it should."

"Now, if we could only find Leo to make sure this offer's for real," Piper said, but she had spoken too soon.

Leo orbed in behind her before she had even finished her thought, placing his hands on her shoulders making her jump. She whipped around, her ponytail flying through the air.

"Well?"

"The Elders say he's the real deal, and so is this offer of his."

The girls exchanged looks.

"Did you find out anything about Agent Jackman?"

Phoebe shook her head.

"No, we're not even sure if he's listening in or not. We set up a distraction just in case."

"You should also lay low on the magic talk. Just for little while longer, until we know for sure what's up."

---------------------------------------

"How much longer are we going to be prisoners in our own home?"

Paige reclaimed her spot by the window, watching the white van intently.

"No idea," Piper answered from her spot on the couch.

"Leo, any word yet from The Elders?"

"Nothing. I don't think this is something they'd have much information on. It seems more natural than supernatural. Maybe we should call Daryl."

"Or maybe," Cole cut in, "We could just go out there and beat the guy up, see what he knows."

"Yeah, if we want to get ourselves sued," Paige said, keeping her eyes on the road, "You aren't a demon anymore."

"Don't you think I know that?"

"I'm not sure you do. Humans don't just beat up other humans for answers. At least not good humans."

Cole scowled and leaned against the door frame, folding his arms over his chest.

"You two need to behave," Piper warned, "I know it's hard when we've been cooped up for so long, but you need to try and keep your cool. It won't help get us out of here any faster."

"But it will make me feel good," Cole said, smiling for the first time in hours.

"You really need to get a hobby. One that will help channel some that pent up aggression."

Piper turned to face Paige.

"Using your social skills, I see. That degree of yours sure comes in handy."

"Well, I'm glad it helps for something. I'm starting to think I'll never become a social worker."

"I already have one, Phoebe," Cole said in response to Paige's earlier comment, "And trust me, she's a great way to help channel all of my pent up...aggression."

He looked down at Phoebe who was now at his side, giving her an evil grin.

"Hey," Phoebe said, slapping his arm, "I am not a hobby."

"Your right, you're too time consuming," Cole teased, preparing himself for another hit.

Instead, Phoebe just smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist, inviting him into a kiss.

"What are we waiting for, Agent Jackman to knock on our door?"

"I don't know Paige," Phoebe sighed, "It sure feels that way."

"We can't just keep sitting here. Sooner or later we're going to have to leave the house, and sooner or later we're going to have to fight off some..."

Piper's hand shot up.

"Don't say it!"

Paige looked offended. "I was going to say bad guys...See, that's another reason. What happens when we," her voice dropped to a whisper, "Slip up?"

"If we take...that fine gentleman, up on his offer, we won't have to worry about that, or anything else for that matter." Phoebe said.

"It _would_ solve a lot of problems. The last thing we need is a repeat of last year."

No one needed to ask what Piper was referring to; the public exposure that caused Prue's death.

"I just wish we had some sort of lead, _anything_ to go on. We don't even know what this guy wants." Cole said.

Promptly, the phone sounded from the other room, and Piper rose to answer it.

"Daryl, thank God. We were beginning to think we'd never get out of here. What have you learned? Wait, so he knows?"

Piper had made her way into the front hall by now, and Cole, Phoebe, and Paige had gathered around to listen.

"Oh my God. Ok, we'll take care of it. Thank you Daryl."

She canceled the call, handing the phone to Phoebe, who set it down on the small, round table in the center of the hall.

"What did he say?"

"Jackman is a witch hunter."

"What?" Phoebe asked, her face displaying her obvious disbelief.

"Yep," Piper said, "And that's not all."

"Let me guess, he's after us." Paige said.

"No, that's the good news. The bad news, is that he's after some girl named Selena who unknowingly is the daughter of a witch. Jackman has her entire genealogy, along with ours."

"We have to save her. Where does she live? Do you have any idea when or where he's going to attack?"

"Ok, slow down," Piper said, taking Phoebe by the hand, "Daryl didn't say. I'm sure we could call and find out, but I have a better idea."

--------------------------------------------------

"I can't believe I'm doing this."

"Paige, just hold your head high, and strut your stuff," Piper said, adjusting the buttons around Paige's cleavage. "And don't start acting all naive on me now."

"Why can't we just call Daryl and find out where she lives?"

"Because finding out where she lives does not tell us where she's attacked. If it looks like a house, or an apartment of some sort, we'll call, and we'll stake out then, but for now..."

Paige sighed.

"Fine, I'll do it, but I won't like it."

"That's a good girl," Piper said, patting Paige on the back and shoving her out the door.

Taking a deep breath, Paige sauntered down the steps of the manor carrying a tray of lemonade. As she neared the cluster of workers, whistles and hoots were directed her way, and Paige found it hard to keep from rolling her eyes.

In her peripheral vision, she saw Piper and Phoebe sneaking around the bushes toward the ominous white van.

'_Now or never,_'She thought, taking another deep breath before expertly tossing her long black hair over her shoulder.

"Gosh, it's hot out here," she said with a sigh, consciously pushing her chest forward, "Any of you boys thirsty?"

All at once, twenty or so men came rushing towards her, gawking all the while.

Quickly, the other two Halliwells circled the van, sliding open the side door. Piper froze the man inside before he could see they were there.

"Inside," Piper ordered, and Phoebe obeyed, crawling in behind the mysterious man.

She looked around, noticing the array of monitoring equipment, including the headset the man was wearing.

"This is our guy." Phoebe said

She set her hands on his shoulders, willing a premonition.

"Come on."

She was about to give up when the vision took her.

"What did you see?"

Phoebe backed away from Jackman.

"Oh, yeah, this is definitely our guy."

---------------------------------------------------------------

"I called Daryl and he gave me Selena's address, but he said there's no need to worry. They have her in a safe house. They know someone's trying to kill her."

"Now, they know it's Jackman," Piper said, "But what I don't get, is if she's safely protected, why was she being attacked in your premonition? Jackman must find some way to get to her."

"Phoebe's premonitions always happen for a reason," Cole said, "She was meant to see what she saw."

"You think there's more to this than just saving her?" Paige asked.

"I don't know. Maybe it's a sign to show you what to do next."

Phoebe turned to Cole.

"I think you're right. Maybe I didn't get the vision to prevent it from happening. Maybe we supposed to make sure it does happen."

"What?" Paige said, "You want to lead her straight to her death?"

"No," Phoebe corrected, "We'd just be setting Jackman up to be caught," She looked around warily, "This probably isn't the best place to discuss this. Everyone, get in the car. We're going to pay Selena a little visit."

Phoebe opened the front door, letting Piper and Paige through.

Cole went to follow, but Phoebe stopped him.

"No, you stay."

Annoyed, Cole ignored her orders and walked out onto the porch.

Phoebe chased after him.

"Did you not just hear what I said?"

"I heard, I just didn't listen," he replied, without facing her.

She blocked his path, forcing him to look her in the eyes.

"Do you have a death wish? You're not going and that's final. We can handle this, trust me."

"Phoebe, we've been through this. I'm human, not stupid. I am just as capable as the rest of you."

"Not without your powers you aren't."

Cole threw his hands up in frustration.

"And you wonder why I became The Source the last time I was human."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he wished he could put them back in.

Phoebe's jaw set, and her eyes grew dark.

"We need someone to stay home in case Jackman or someone helping him, tries to break in, and Leo might have to leave if something does happen."

With that, she turned and headed for the car.

Cole cursed under his breath, and headed back inside, closing the door rather roughly behind him.

Leo stayed put in the main hall, already preparing himself for their call.

Phoebe climbed into the SUV, behind the passenger seat, and Paige sat shotgun next to Piper, who had control of the wheel. Piper backed out of the driveway and onto the street, following Paige's instructions, and just as Phoebe anticipated, Jackman followed their trail.

Her plan was set into motion.

When they arrived at Selena's apartment, they found two men guarding the door.

This didn't scare Phoebe one bit, and she headed straight toward them. Piper reached out, grabbing the sleeve of her jacket.

"Are you insane?"

"It's ok. When I called Daryl on the way here, he said he'd make sure they would know we were coming."

She stepped up to the smaller man standing on the right.

"Uh, Hi. We're Officer Morris' friends. He said it'd be alright if we talked to Selena."

The guard nodded, stepping aside to let them all through.

They found Selena inside, sitting nervously on her couch.

Phoebe approached slowly, taking a seat next to her.

Selena was startled at first, but relaxed when she noticed no body guards were attacking.

"Hi, I'm Phoebe Halliwell, and these are my sisters Piper and Paige. We're here to help you."

"Help me? How?"

"We know about Agent Jackman, the man that's after you. We also know why he's after you."

"And that would be..."

"Because he's a witch hunter."

Selena's fear turned into confusion.

"I don't understand. What does this have to do with me? I'm not a witch."

"According to the police, Jackman traced your genealogy, as well as ours, and it showed that your mother was a witch, which means that so are you."

Selena rose from her seat, beginning to panic.

"Don't worry," Phoebe said, reaching for her arm, "We're witches too."

Selena looked to Piper and Paige who nodded in confirmation.

"Prove it."

"Fine," Piper said, "You see those two guys over there?"

Selena looked over at the two cops talking, and nodded.

Piper raised her hands, freezing the room. The cops stopped mid sentence, along with everyone else.

Selena's mouth fell open.

"How did you?"

"Magic," Piper said, "You didn't freeze because you're a witch, a good witch. My powers don't work on you."

She pointed to her sisters, proving her point.

"Ok, so we're witches. What does this mean?"

"Jackman wants us dead, burned at the stake probably."

"So, what are we going to do?"

"We're going to have to use you as bait, to lure him out into the open."

"What?"

Phoebe rose, placing a comforting hand on Selena's shoulder.

"Don't worry, we'll protect you. All we need to do is catch Jackman in the act to prove he's the one after you, and then you can testify against him."

Selena nodded.

"Alright, but how are you going to get me out of here? I've been ordered to stay here for my own protection."

"Don't worry," Piper said, whipping out her phone to call Daryl, "We have connections."

----------------------------------------------

"Where exactly am I going?"

"Just keep driving." Phoebe instructed, "My premonition happened in a park."

Piper sighed.

"We've changed your premonitions before. Can't we just stop anywhere as long as no one's around? Jackman will follow."

"I guess your right, but...Stop! There it is!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, that's the statue from my vision. Piper, pull over."

All four witches stepped out of the car, looking around for a sign of Jackman. The sun was low in the sky by now, and Phoebe remembered the details of her vision.

"It was night in my premonition which means that Jackman should be here any minute."

"He's probably already here. He's just watching to see what we do."

"I don't know Paige," Piper said, "I stopped seeing that van a long time ago. Maybe he gave up, and headed back to our place."

Soon it was dark, and Phoebe knew Jackman would show up soon. She trusted her premonitions more than she trusted Cole.

'_Cole_,' She thought with slight dismay.

This was the first time since their wedding they'd fought about his humanity. She thought they were past this hurdle, but apparently not. Cole still had some issues he needed to sort out, and in turn Phoebe did too. She still couldn't trust him like she did before, but she was beginning to feel closer to him than she had in months. Now, all of sudden, he was biting back, making her wary once again. This complex of his made it hard for her to do her job, her job as a Charmed One.

'_Maybe this is what The Angel meant. Maybe I'm supposed to give up my powers, so Cole and I can be happy together, happy as humans._ _Maybe I've heard what I was supposed to hear._'

Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice in the trees.

They looked into the darkness to see who was there, but they already knew.

"Hello ladies," Jackman said, coming into view, "I was beginning to think I'd never find you alone.

Piper quickly raised her hands to freeze him, but nothing happened.

Piper panicked

"He's not freezing. Why isn't he freezing?"

"What, did you think I wouldn't come prepared?"

Jackman pulled an amulet out from his shirt.

"This little charm makes me immune to your witchy powers, a rather handy thing to have when you're in my line of work."

Phoebe spoke up.

"You mean, when you're a murderer?"

"Now, I wouldn't say that. A murderer is someone who kills other people. You," he said, pointing to the four women, "Are not people, so killing you would hardly be a crime."

He reached into his pocket, pulling out a gun and pointing it at Selena.

Phoebe pushed her to the ground, but not before the bullet hit her squarely in the chest.

"Piper, call for Leo!" Phoebe yelled, scrambling to her feet.

Before he could fire another shot, Phoebe used a roundhouse kick, knocking the gun out of his hand. He dove blindly after it.

Phoebe dove after it too, but was distracted by Cole's sudden appearance.

She stood rather quickly, rushing over to his side.

"What are you..."

"Phoebe look out!"

She had let her guard down for only a second, but it was enough. Jackman had retrieved the gun and was aiming it straight at her head.

Before she had time to react, he fired, and she felt herself fall hard to the ground.

To her surprise, she sat up unharmed, apart from some bruises on her left side. Cole, on the other hand, had been shot in his shoulder. His body lying in front of her, motionless.

She looked into the night, spotting Leo and Selena on the ground behind Jackman.

"Leo!" she called. "Cole's been shot."

Jackman however, still had the gun, and again it was pointed right at her.

She threw herself over Cole's hurt body, in a last attempt to dodge the bullet.

Luckily Paige had an idea. She held out her hand and called for the gun.

Jackman, taken completely by surprise, had no time to react when Paige got a hold of his weapon. As soon as it was in her hand, she orbed behind him, holding it up to the back of his neck. She carefully reached under his collar, pulling the amulet up off his head.

"Now!," she called to Piper, who froze the agent without hesitation.

Paige let out a sigh of relief, lowering the gun and joining her sisters.

Phoebe held Cole in her arms as Leo healed his wound. The last lights fading as Paige approached.

"Now what?"

Piper walked over to Paige's side.

"Now, we call Daryl to put this guy in cuffs."

Paige nodded, then turned her attention to Selena.

"How about you? Are you alright?"

"Thanks to you, to all of you," she said, pulling Paige into a hug. "You truly are amazing. I can't imagine having gifts like yours. You must be really proud."

Phoebe, who was helping Cole to sit up straight, looked up from her spot on the ground, a warming smile on her face.

"Yeah, yeah we are."

-----------------------------------------------------

"So, you're absolutely sure that this is path you want to choose?"

The Angel of Destiny had returned at last, ready to grant the sisters' request.

"Positive." All three said at once.

"You realize you won't get this opportunity again."

"We understand," Phoebe answered, "You were right. Letting the day run its course taught me a lot about myself. There was moment today when I didn't have my powers, and to tell you the truth...it sucked. Our powers make us who we are, witches. We can't deny that, and saving that innocent today. It felt so natural, so good. This is who we're meant to be."

"So be it," The Angel said, turning to leave, "Oh, just so you know, neither decision would've affected yours and Cole's personal destiny, or yours for that matter."

He pointed to Piper and Leo.

"What is he talking about?" Paige asked, looking to her sisters.

The Angel smiled, glancing at Phoebe's belly, then at Piper's.

"You'll find out...Soon enough."

Both Piper and Phoebe looked down at their stomachs, and then to their respective husbands.

The Angel just laughed before disappearing out the door.

"You don't think?" Piper said, glancing down at her belly again.

""No, n-n-n-n-no." Phoebe stuttered

Paige finally realized what was going on. She smiled, folding her arms over her chest.

"Ohmygod, You two are pregnant."

Cole's mouth fell to the floor, and Leo's turned upward into a grin.

"Another baby?" Cole said, turning to his wife. Phoebe was still at a loss for words, so she merely nodded, unable to deny what she now knew was true. "We're having another baby!" Cole laughed, in a fit of joy.

Piper and Leo were having a surreal moment of their own on the other side of the room. Leo had his head pressed to Piper's stomach, grinning from ear to ear.

"There's a baby in there...my baby."

Standing back up, he kissed Piper passionately, orbing her upstairs.

"This," Paige said, moving her hands to hips, "Is going to be interesting."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Liljdpegasuschic160:** Haha! I am evil. I honestly won't be updating for awhile...this time I mean it. I need a mental break, and I think this is a good place to stop for now since it is the season finale. Up next...Season 5! A nicer season 5 by the way. Phoebe might actually be likable in this world. I already have the entire season planned out, so when I do write again it will be easy. It helps when I know where I'm going. Again, thank you all for the comments. Please keep them coming. They make me smile )


	7. Chapter 7: Faith, Fear, & Friendship

**Lildpegasuschic160:** I know, I know, I'm so sorry I've been gone for so long, but this chapter's A LOT longer than usual, so hopefully that will make up for my absence. School's been keeping me busier than I thought. I guess it's true what they say about Jr. year. While I was gone, I happened to catch 'Forever Charmed' on TNT, and I am sad to say I was dissappointed. Aside from the obvious, (Cole was missing) I honestly found it all to be a bit boring. Even after I fast foreward through Billy and her sister, I still thought the Halliwells' storyline wasn't that intersting. Maybe I'm just being stubborn because they replaced the most gorgeous creature on earth with a less gorgeous one (I'll admit, Coop is good looking), but the series finale did not live up to my expectations. Seeing it, motivated me to finish this story and right this wrong! As for your questions...

Christine Ruud: No, I'm not creating a new story. I'm just going to stick with this one for now. If I feel this story is getting to lengthy, I might split it in two, but I'll tell you if I do.

Faerie Dreaming: Yes & No. I am sticking to certain Charmed storylines, and I'm trying to change things that would only be affected by Cole being alive, but sometimes I cheat to make my life easier.

Like I said, this chapter is rather lengthy, so there might be some mistakes (this chapter also wasn't beta-ed since my beta is at a sleepover and I couldn't wait to post). There are a lot of important points I wanted to cover in this chapter, so I might have messed up the storyline. I apoligize in advance if I contridict myself. When you're running on only your brain cells, you're bound to make mistakes. So, without further ado, my possibly messed up chapter

**Disclaimer: **I do NOT own Charmed and I am in NO way affiliated with The WB (CW). However, this particular chapter is based off the script for the episode 'A Witch's Tail pt 1' written by Daniel Cerone & 'A Witch's Tail pt 2' written by Monica Breen & Allison Schapker. Some lines are taken directly from the show, and others have been changed to fit my needs. In conclusion, this chapter is mine, but the characters aren't so please don't sue.

Read, Review, & Enjoy!

**Third Time's a Charm**

Chapter 7: Faith, Fear, & Friendship

"Piper! Phoebe! Anybody home?"

"We're up here Paige!"

Paige climbed the stairs, following Phoebe's voice. When, she reached the top she collided with a cart loaded with baby supplies. She survived, but the cart rolled ahead, crashing into a crate and sending the items aboard to the floor.

In response, Piper rushed out of her bedroom in a frantic state.

"Demon, did I hear a demon?"

"No," Paige sighed, "Not a demon, just the trolley."

She pointed to the wreck.

Piper walked over to observe the damage, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear.

"Paige, you have to be more careful. Some of this stuff is really fragile."

Paige surveyed the cluttered hall.

"Why do yo guys have so much stuff anyway? The babies aren't due for several months."

"Because, like you said, we're having _babies_, which means twice as much stuff. Besides, it's better to get as much done ahead of time as possible, and with demonic activity at an all time low, I figured we should take advantage."

"Speaking of demonic activity, I have some unfinished business with a Borneo demon, so we might have some company later on."

"See Paige, this is what I've been talking about," Piper said, placing the last few items back on the cart.

"I respect the fact that you're devoting more time to the craft, but this witch kick of yours could put us all in danger."

"Piper, we're already in danger all the time. I don't see how this is any different."

Piper slowly rose, pushing the trolley back into place.

"Because now we have two extra lives to worry about."

She patted her stomach.

"Plus what you're doing is different. You're going out and looking for the demons. Just let them come to you. Trust me, they will. Phoebe and I learned that the hard way."

"By the way, where is Phoebe? She called me up when I got home."

"She's probably in the bathroom getting ready for her big radio interview today."

"Wow, I can't believe it. She hasn't even had this job for a half a year, and she's already a local celebrity. Have you seen her billboards downtown?"

"They're kind of hard to miss, especially since Phoebe keeps talking about them."

"Taking about what?"

Phoebe emerged from the bathroom wearing a white and pink, scoop neck top, unbuttoned just above her navel, and a pair of tight, low cut jeans.

"Oh nothing," Paige said, "Don't you think that outfits a little risque for a pregnant woman?"

Phoebe glanced down at her clothes and shrugged.

"Hey, I'm going to wear this stuff for as long as I can, because before I know it, I'll be big as a house and stuck in frumpy maternity wear. Why," she said, parting her shirt, "Do you think I show?"

She looked down at her belly, noticing a small bulge.

"Exhibit A."

Paige pointed to the same bump Phoebe had noticed.

Phoebe sighed.

"I didn't think it was even possible to show in your first two months. Piper, do you?"

Piper shook her head.

"But all pregnancies are different, and you're smaller than me, so that might have something to do with it, or it could be water retention. You might just be bloated."

Phoebe crinkled her nose, making a face.

"I feel bloated."

She glanced at her watch.

"Where's Cole? I should talk to him before I leave."

"He's still in your bedroom working on that crib. He hasn't come out all morning, same with Leo. I think there's some sort of competition to see who can finish first."

"Men," Phoebe said, shaking her head.

She departed, leaving Piper and Paige to discuss the best way to vanquish the Borneo demon.

When she came to her bedroom, she found the door ajar, and pushing it open she stepped inside, her heels echoing on the hard wood floor.

Cole stood in the window box with his back to her, but Phoebe could see the instructions in his hand. He was staring at them intently, making few inaudible noises and grunting every now and then.

She stopped just short of her bed, resting her hands on her hips, waiting for him to acknowledge her presence.

All that could be heard was the rustling of paper, then Cole cleared his throat.

"Hey Piper, could you hand me that monkey wrench over there?"

Phoebe smiled and did as she was told, or as 'Piper' was told, grabbing the wrench from a pile of tools on the floor. She stepped up behind him, wrench in hand, and playfully spanked him through his jeans.

"Piper, what the..." He whipped around quickly causing Phoebe stumble a bit. He grabbed her arm, steadying her. "Phoebe?"

She regained her balance and shook off his arm, but her mood remained playful.

"You were expecting someone else to come in here and slap your butt?"

She wrapped one arm around him, pulling him close, while the other found his backside, giving it a squeeze.

He smiled mischievously, wrapping his arms around her as well, and pulling her in for a quick kiss.

"What if I was?" He teased, pressing their foreheads together.

"Then, I would have to punish you, now wouldn't I?"

She flashed him an evil grin, and Cole couldn't help but return it as his imagination ran wild.

He leaned in to kiss her lips, starting out slow, knowing it pushed her buttons. He picked up the pace when she wrapped her arms around his neck, forcing his tongue deeper into her mouth. Before things went to far, he jerked away, wiping his mouth on his hand.

"Don't you have an interview to go to?"

She pretended to contemplate the question.

"Yes, but it can wait."

He shook his head, placing his hands on her shoulders to acquire her full attention .

"No it can't. You better go."

With one eyebrow raised, Phoebe looked up at him with a pretend innocence.

"Who are you, and what have you done with my husband?"

"Phoebe, I know how much this job means to you, so enjoy it while you can. Before you know it you'll be stuck at home on maternity leave with a belly the size of a beach ball."

"I know, I know..." Phoebe laughed, snaking her arms his waist. "I just don't want to leave. I want to stay here and help you prepare."

"There'll be plenty of time for that later, seven months in fact. Besides, I don't need you're help." He smirked.

She pulled back, placing her hands on her hips and scanning his entire body.

"You're determined to do this all on your own, aren't you?"

He took a quick look at the half finished crib and nodded resolutely.

"Yes."

"There are some things even you can't do on your own."

"Like what?"

Challenged by his stubbornness, she wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered into his ear.

Her answer took him by surprise and he let out a small chuckle, despite his obvious discomfort.

"Oh really?"

Phoebe simply nodded, a twinkle in her eye.

"I think you underestimate my abilities Mrs. Turner."

Phoebe laughed, not because of his answer, but because of the way he had addressed her. She still hadn't grown accustom to hearing her new last name, and she doubted she ever would. Being that close to Cole, sharing something so personal to him put butterflies in her stomach. What made it worse was Cole's current physical state, that was made all the more obvious when he pressed up against her, adding to the tension.

"So I guess it won't be a problem then when I leave." She said as calmly as she could.

Cole recognized the effort and silently applauded her control. He, on the other hand, was losing it.

"Quite the opposite, but I'm willing to let this one slide...later perhaps?"

"Later."

Pulling him back down, she whispered something else seductively in his ear, before turning and heading out of the room.

Cole followed her with his eyes, cursing no one in particular. He ran a set of fingers slowly through his hair, hoping to keep his hands occupied and out of trouble.

Phoebe headed downstairs and out of the manor with a satisfied smirk on her face.

'_Who knew you could feel so sexy while married and pregnant? Definitely something worth nothing in my column._'

Back inside, Piper and Leo continued to work diligently on their baby's nursery. Piper sat legs crisscrossed on the bed with a bunch of assorted boxes strewn around her. Currently, she was holding a medium sized container filled with all sorts of books and papers. Rummaging through, she found a small, pink book which she pulled out and set on her lap.

Just then, Paige poked her head in the doorway to ask where the mandrake root was, but when she saw what Piper was holding, she became curious.

"Whatcha' got there?" She asked as she entered the room, and took a seat on the edge of the bed.

Piper fondly ran her hand along a page of the book and smiled, looking up.

"It's my baby book."

She turned the page.

"I didn't even know I had one."

She turned the page again, but this time there were no pictures. Flipping a few more, she found them all blank.

Suddenly, her smile faded, and Paige moved closer to see why.

"What's wrong?"

"The book just stops. Look." She said, handing it over to her sister.

"Hmmm, that's weird."

"No it's not," Piper sighed, "Mom was never there to finish it. She died before she could."

Paige realized her mistake and tried to comfort Piper, reaching an arm around her shoulder to give her big sister a hug.

"Hey, at least she _started_ one for you. I didn't even get a baby book."

Piper tried to smile, but she still had a feeling of emptiness.

Leo finally noticed what was going on, and he took a seat on the other side of his wife, taking her hand in his.

"Hey Piper, don't worry about it. I know what you're thinking and you're wrong."

Paige gave Leo a skeptical look.

"What's she thinking?"

"That she won't be there for our baby, like her mom wasn't there for her."

"Oh, Piper that's ridiculous...Right?" she said, turning to Leo for support.

Piper answered instead, "No it's not Paige. I'm a witch, too, who can just as easily die. Even if demons aren't attacking as often, there's still a very real possibility that I could get killed...Mom did..."

"Ok, first of all, you and Mom are not the same person. So what if you're both witches. You're a Charmed One. Mom was not. Plus, you've got something Mom never had. You've got us to watch your back and to make sure nothing ever happens to you or the baby."

"Paige is right," Leo said, "As long as you're careful, everything will turn out fine."

"I suppose you're right," Piper sighed, closing the book and placing it back in the box.

"Of course we're right." Paige said, rising from the bed and heading to the door.

She was halfway out the door when she stopped, turning back around.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Piper, do you know where the mandrake root is?"

"In the far right cabinet, next to the elm's bark."

"Thanks," Paige said before heading downstairs to finish her potion.

Back in the room, Leo still sat with his wife, holding her in his arms for moral support.

"Look, Piper, it's going to be okay. I promise you."

"How can you be so sure? Prue promised she'd always be there, and look what happened to her. You never know what will happen in the future."

"You're right. You never know, but that can't stop you from living your life. You have to take everything that comes you way, the good and the bad. It's just a part of living."

"Or, not living."

"Come on, Piper. We've got so much going for family right now. Let's not ruin it with negative thoughts."

"How can I be anything but negative when this family's been through so much?"

"You have to focus on all the good, and realize that the bad is there to make you stronger. This fear you have of reliving your mother's mistakes, is irrational. You have to try and remove your fear before it consumes you. Then, we'll really be in danger."

-----------------------------------------------------------------

A few hours later, Phoebe's car pulled up to the curb, and she stepped out quickly, making her way up the small hill to the house, rushing up the front steps, and barely closing the front door behind her.

As soon as she was inside, she made her way upstairs in search of someone to talk to. She didn't have to look far because Cole came walking triumphantly towards her, ready with some news of his own.

"Back so soon?" He asked, his brisk walk turning into a saunter.

"Yeah, the interview went really well."

"That's great," He exclaimed, leaning in for a kiss, "But you want to hear something even better?"

"What?"

"I finished the crib."

"Really? Honey, I'm so proud of you."

It was hard not to smile when Cole was practically beaming, but with so much on her mind, Phoebe hardly managed a grin. Luckily, it escaped Cole's attention, and he continued with just as much enthusiasm.

"And believe it or not, it only took me three hours to finish. Is your husband amazing, or what?"

Phoebe wasn't sure if he was being sarcastic, so she answered back with a question of her own.

"How long did it take Leo?"

"An hour and a half...But hey, it's pretty good for a first time, right?"

Now, she knew he was joking, but she still couldn't manage a smile. Cole noticed, and immediately moved closer, brushing his hand on the side of her face, willing her to look him in the eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"Cole, there's something I need to ask you."

"Sure, anything."

"Do you know of any demons named Dane?"

The question took him by surprise since he expected something non-supernatural, but he remained calm, despite the negative connotations associated with the name.

"Quite well, actually...why?"

"Because on my way out of the interview, I ran into a demon..."

"Are you okay?"

He quickly surveyed her body, looking for any visible wounds.

"Yes, I'm fine," She assured him, "But he said he was killing me to impress Dane, and then all of a sudden, another demon showed up and told him not to attack. He said, Dane needs all three of us alive for his plan to work, and then they shimmered away."

She searched Cole's pensive face for an some sort of answer.

"Do you have any idea what he's up too?"

"Could be anything," He shrugged.

"He's always had a lot of influence in the Underworld. He might be the one organizing the Occulto Demons."

She crossed her arms over her chest, considering the idea.

"Now that you mention it, I thought I recognized the first demon that attacked me. He looked exactly the same as the ones that kept attacking at the Penthouse, but what I don't get, is if Dane needs all of us alive, then why did he send the Occultos after us in the first place?"

"I don't know. Maybe his plans have changed."

Phoebe sighed, and shook her head, unable to cope with this new information.

"I have a bad feeling about all of this."

"Me too."

"Where are my sisters?" Phoebe asked, suddenly noticing their absence, "I have to tell them about Dane."

Cole glanced over his right shoulder and thought for a moment.

"Piper's in the attack looking through some more of your guys' old stuff, and Paige left for work after finishing her potion."

"Ok, I'll have to clue her in later. For now..."

She grabbed his hand, taking him with her up the attic stairs.

At first the large room appeared empty, but they could hear indistinct noises coming from behind a large pile of old boxes.

"Piper?"

"Pheebs. Is that you?"

Phoebe followed the voice and found Piper on her knees, digging through a small hope chest. Her head was buried in the box, so that only her long ponytail was visible.

"Yeah, it's me," She said, and Piper's head popped up in response.

She stood, brushing off her pants before turning to face them.

"What are you doing home so soon? I wasn't expecting you for another hour or so."

"I didn't do those errands after the interview like I had planned."

"Why not?"

"Well, that's what we're here to talk to you about."

Piper's eyes narrowed as she looked from Phoebe to Cole, then back to Phoebe.

"You called a family meeting because you didn't buy the groceries? I trust you Phoebe. You can buy them later if you want."

"It's a little more serious than forgotten groceries."

"How serious?"

"We think the High Council has chosen a new leader and he's working on a plan in which he needs all three of you alive."

Phoebe and Cole were both surprised by Piper's rather calm reaction to Cole's answer.

"Haven't we known for awhile that The Underworld is reorganizing, and isn't a good thing that he wants us alive?"

"No exactly, and not necessarily," Cole said, "Reorganizing is a lot different from actually picking a leader. Once he assumes the throne, the demons will be united under him, they'll carry out his bidding. They'll kill you."

His voice grew louder as he emphasize his point.

"Like they haven't always tried to kill us before."

"Piper, this is serious," Phoebe warned, "They'll formulate a plan, and we'll be blind sided by it. We can't let them have someone to follow."

"Even if this guy takes the throne like you say he's going too, he won't be anywhere near as powerful as the last Source. I mean, The Source is technically dead, and this guy would only be taking on the title. Plus, won't he need The Grimoire to consummate his powers? And seeing as Leo orbed that thing to kingdom come, I don't think he'll be getting his hands on it any time soon."

Cole and Phoebe simply exchanged glances, unable to believe their own ears.

"Piper what's gotten into you?"

"Common sense, that's what's gotten into me. I don't why you two worry so much about harmless demons. Call Paige. I'm sure she'll agree that this is not top priority. Right now, we should be focusing on the finishing the nurseries."

And with that, she turned her back on the pair, and continued her previous endeavors.

Grabbing Cole's arm, Phoebe pulled him away and down the stairs. When they reached the first landing, she released her hold on him and asked, "What the hell was that?"

"I don't know, but you might want to talk to Leo about it. Maybe he can figure out what's going on. In the meantime, you should take her advice and call Paige. She should be warned, and maybe she'll have a few ideas on how to handle our opposition."

"Good idea. She might know the best way to locate Dane."

"I was talking about Piper."

------------------------------------------------------------

Over at South Bay Social Services, Paige Matthews sat at her desk, looking over some old case files when the phone rang. She answered it immediately, swiveling in her chair to reach the receiver.

"Paige Matthews, how may I help you?"

"Paige, It's me, Phoebe. I might need you to come home. I had a run in with a demon on my way home from the interview and I was wondering if you could..."

"No, I can't leave work, not today Phoebe. I just got promoted, and it would really look bad if I left work early, again. Can't you just get Piper to help you or something?"

"You got promoted?" Phoebe asked, ignoring the fact that Paige just refused to help.

"Yes, I did. At this very moment, you are talking to a full fledged social worker."

"Wow, Paige, that's amazing. I'm so proud of you."

"Thank you. I just hope you understand why I can't come."

"I understand."

"I hope it's not something you and Piper can't handle on your own."

"About Piper..."

"Uh, oh, don't tell me something's wrong with her."

"I'm not really sure. Was she acting strange around you this morning?"

"How so?"

"I don't know, sort of reckless."

"No, not really, why?"

"Because Cole and I went up to the attic to tell her about the demon that attacked me, and she shrugged it off like it was no big deal. Normally, I would agree with her, but Cole has reason to believe that he might be in on a bigger scheme against us, and when we told Piper, she basically said that we should worry more about decorating out babies' rooms than death threats."

"Hmmm, that's interesting."

"Interesting? Paige, this is the worst possible time or her to be like this. The Underworld could regain enough power to kill us all."

"What I meant was, it's interesting that she's so concerned about the babies all of a sudden."

"Why is that interesting?"

"Because this morning she was showing me her baby book, and she was more than a little upset about the fact that Mom wasn't alive to finish hers. She's afraid she'll die like Mom did, and not be able to be there for her baby."

"That's ridiculous."

"That's what I said, and Leo tried to convince her too, but maybe this is her way of dealing with her fear, suppressing it."

"Suppress is an understatement. The woman could care less if The Source came over for dinner. It's like she's fearless."

"Try talking to her. Maybe all she needs is a little extra sisterly consolation. You're pregnant too, so she might listen better to what you have to say. Hey, Phoebe. I gotta go. My boss's coming. I'll talk to you later okay?"

"Kay, Bye Paige."

Phoebe sighed, and placed the phone back on the receiver. She debated on whether or not to call Leo, but she decided against it. Right now, she needed some time to think.

Cole, who was sitting at the kitchen table, stood and walked towards her, holding his arms out for a hug.

She accepted his invitation, leaning into his strong chest and smiling. She closed her eyes, concentrating on everything that was Cole, the feel of his shirt, his scent, the way his large hands held her tiny body in place, the way she could see his smile even with her eyes closed, and her favorite thing about him: the way he was able to wash away all her stress and anxiety with a simple embrace. She tuned into his steady breath, trying to mimic the comforting sound.

Cole's voice broke her concentration, and her eyes shot open in response.

"What did Paige say?"

"She just got promoted, so she can't come home," She replied, still holding him close, "But she thinks she might know what's wrong with Piper."

"And what would that be?"

"She's afraid of dying like Mom did."

Taking a few steps back, Cole released his hold on Phoebe and looked down into her eyes, his own eyes sad and serious as if he understood Piper's paranoia.

"What are you going to do? You can't fight something like that with magic."

"I'm not sure, but Leo might be able to help."

"You should call him and tell him about Dane while you're at it."

"You're probably right, but right now," She said, looking at her watch, "We have a lunch date in forty five minutes, and it will take at least twenty minutes to get there."

"Lunch date? Since when?"

Phoebe mouth opened in exasperation, and her hands found a place on her hips.

"Cole, I told you about this weeks ago."

"That's probably why I don't remember." He smirked.

"We're meeting Sheila and Daryl for lunch...remember?"

Cole's face scrunched, his eyebrows coming together as tried to refresh his memory.

"I sort of remember you telling me something like that, but I pushed it out of my mind, for obvious reasons."

"Cole, I'm doing this you. Stop acting like it's the end of the world."

"I'm not, It's just not something I'm really looking forward too. Remind me again why you're doing this for me?"

"Because you have no friends."

Hewas slightly offended, and it showed.

"You didn't need to be so blunt about it."

"I'm sorry. I'm just trying to help," She said, reaching up to caress his cheek, "Now that you're human, you need something to occupy your time, the only time you get out the house is to go to work."

He looked down, almost as in shame, realizing that she was speaking the truth.

"Honey, that's not healthy." She finished, trying to make eye contact.

Cole looked up, and sighed.

"And you think that Daryl and I should be pals. Is that it?"

"Why not? You both work to protect the law, he's a nice guy, and you don't have to worry about magic around him. I think he's perfect choice for your first friend."

"What about Leo? We hang out."

"I would hardly consider demon tracking, hanging out. Besides, Leo lives with us. You see him all the time. You need to broaden your horizons, add a little variety to your life. And aside from the fact that he's an angel and you were a demon, you have to admit, you and Leo don't have much in common. We're going and that's final."

Cole sighed again, and shook his head, knowing he'd lost the fight.

---------------------------------------------------

Despite her eagerness to attend the lunch date, Phoebe and Cole arrived at the restaurant fifteen minutes late. Although she was getting better, Phoebe still didn't run on normal time. If her hair wasn't perfect or her clothes weren't right, no one left the house. As long as people were there when she arrived, she figured she wasn't too tardy, and sure enough as soon as they stepped through the large wooden door, they found Daryl and his wife standing next to the hostess podium, waiting to be seated.

Everyone smiled when they saw each other, even Cole which put Phoebe's mind a little more at ease. At least he was trying to enjoy himself.

Both men shook hands, and Phoebe approached Sheila, embracing her in a hug.

As soon as the greetings were said and done, the hostess returned with a pile of menus ready to lead them to their table.

The setting was casual, a local sports bar well known for their original 'finger food', and Phoebe could tell that Daryl came often by the way he addressed the staff.

Once they were seated, Phoebe got a chance to take a good look around.

The scenery was typical of any sports bar, TVs on every inch of the ceiling showing various different sporting events, large groups of men chatting at a bar while having some beer, pool tables, arcade games, and even clusters of children crowded around small vending machines.

Phoebe smiled to herself, noticing how out of place Cole was in this setting. Although she considered him a man's man, for obvious reasons, he also lacked some of the natural tendencies of the modern middle aged man.

Cole was, to but it bluntly, old, and consequently, old fashioned, but that didn't mean he wasn't open to new things. He had all the latest gadgets, used up-to-date slang, and was even sanctioned premarital sex, but despite all that, he still seemed misplaced in the twenty-first century. There was something about his air, the way he went about certain situations, the way he perceived things...

Her musings were interrupted by Sheila's attempt to start a conversation.

"So Daryl tells me you two met at crime scene?"

"Yes that's right," Cole answered, "I was the ADA on the case."

"Oh, I see," Sheila said, suddenly interested, "Daryl told me you're a lawyer, but I didn't know you were the ADA."

"Oh, well, I'm not anymore."

"He's not anymore."

Both men said at once.

Sheila chuckled at their timing, and Phoebe smiled knowingly back at her. This only proved her point that Daryl was a good match, they even thought alike.

"He works for..."

"I work for..."

They both began, but Daryl trailed off, slightly embarrassed, and let Cole continue.

"I work for the law firm, Jack McCarter and Kline, downtown."

Sheila thought for a moment.

"I've heard of it."

There was an awkward silence for a moment, then Sheila continued.

"So, are you originally from around here?"

Cole felt a little uncomfortable about the sudden string of questions directed at him, but he remained calm and answered as honestly as he could.

"I've lived all over the place, but yes, I am originally from this area. I was born in San Francisco, and I even went school around here."

"Oh, did you two know each other before from high school?"

Cole didn't know what to say, he assumed that Daryl had informed his wife of his demonic heritage, but judging by her questions and the nervous look on Daryl's face, he apparently had not.

"Cole's older than me, so we weren't in the same class." Phoebe said, saving him from answering.

"Was he in Prue's class then?" Sheila asked, trying to put the pieces in place.

"Actually, he's older then Prue too." _'A lot older.'_ She mentally added.

"Really?" Sheila said, studying Cole's face, "How much older? You can't be over thirty-five."

Cole simply nodded. He felt as if he were being interrogated for a crime he didn't commit, and that the right answer, in his case, was wrong.

"38?" Sheila continued guessing.

She laughed after she asked, unbelieving that the handsome man in front of her could be a day over forty, and his answer added to her shock.

"I'm quite a bit older than you think."

Phoebe bit her bottom lip and looked over at Daryl who was wearing an expression similar to her own.

"How old _are _you?" Sheila blurted out, then realized how tactless it sounded.

"Remember when I told you about Leo?" Daryl said, trying to shed some light on the situation without being too outright.

"You're a whitelighter too?" Sheila whispered, looking around to make sure no one else had heard.

Cole chuckled softly, "Not exactly. Leo's dead. I'm just old, older than Leo in fact."

It took awhile for her to process this information, but once she had, she looked quite impressed.

"If you're not a...you-know-what... what are you?"

She hoped she wasn't being too nosey, but the whole thought of magic intrigued her. She only knew what little she heard from Daryl and he didn't know all that much.

"I was a De..."

"Dear!" Phoebe said, cutting him off, "Maybe you should tell her later when there aren't as many people around."

Cole apologized for the slip up. "Sorry honey."

"I'm the one who should be apologizing. I didn't mean be so nosey, but it's not everyday that you meet people who are...like yourself."

"That's ok. We understand. I know how crazy all of this must be to you. It was to me when I first found out."

Phoebe looked to her husband and smiled, remembering her early days with the craft, before she met him.

Just then, the waitress arrived with their food, and the rest of the afternoon was spent in small talk. Phoebe mostly talked to Sheila and Daryl mostly talked to Cole. Everything was going well and soon it was time to leave.

"I hope I've got this right, but you're pregnant aren't you?" Sheila asked, standing and pushing in her seat.

"Yes, yes I am." Phoebe beamed, happy to have an excuse to talk about her baby.

Cole reached under the table, finding her hand and giving it a squeeze.

"When are you due?"

"About the middle of March."

"How exciting. You must be really anxious. I remember what my first pregnancy was like, nerve-wracking."

"You can say that again," Phoebe said, standing along with Cole.

The two men headed for the door, but Sheila stayed behind to help Phoebe collect her things.

"Don't worry. It will all be worth it when you see your baby's face for the first time."

Phoebe smiled as she tried imagined the miraculous sight.

"I can't even imagine how that must make you feel. I get worked up enough over other people's babies. I can't imagine how I'll be with my own."

"Do you know the gender?"

"No, not yet, I'm still in my first trimester, but my first ultrasound is scheduled in three months. My doctor wants to get me in as soon as possible because of my medical history."

Sheila inquired no further as she knew Phoebe was referencing to her recent miscarriage.

As they approached the door, Sheila turned and gave Phoebe a gentle hug.

"Thanks for setting up this lunch date. I had a really nice time. Daryl and I don't get out as often because of the boys, and I know how much you wanted this for Cole."

Both women glanced over at their husbands who were still very much enjoying each other's company. Phoebe smiled at the sight of them.

"Thanks again Sheila for everything. You really didn't have to pay for lunch."

"Don't worry. It was our treat."

Phoebe thanked her again, and approached Cole, giving his shirt a tug to get his attention.

"Ready?"

Cole glanced quickly at his wife, flashing her a smile.

"Yeah honey, one sec."

He turned back to Daryl.

"Next Saturday then?

Daryl nodded, giving Cole a pat on the back and saying his goodbyes before taking his wife's hand and heading out the door.

"What's next Saturday?"

"Daryl invited me over to his house. We're going to watch the first game in the Giants' series against the Dodgers. Some of the guys at his work always bet on the games, and they take turns hosting. Next week is Daryl's turn."

"Honey that's wonderful. See, I told you this wouldn't be so bad." She said as he held the door open for her and she stepped outside.

She started to walk towards their car, but stopped, suddenly struck by a thought. Cole, who had been following close behind, stopped himself quickly to keep from colliding with her.

"Cole?"

She whipped around to face him, placing a hand on his chest to steady him.

"Do you even follow baseball?"

"No, not really," he half heartedly chuckled, "At least not any more, but I used to when I was younger. It will be fun getting reacquainted with the game."

Phoebe was unsure of how to react. Part of her was happy to see Cole so excited about this new pastime, but another part of her wondered why she never knew this about him before.

Of course she didn't expect to learn everything about him over night. After all, he had a life long before he ever met her, but it still bothered her a when reminded of how little she really knew about him.

"Well until you do, promise me you won't take on any bets."

"Promise." he smiled, leaning in for a quick kiss.

Their mouths almost touching, Phoebe continued, "Once you prove to me that you know what you're talking about, you can do all the betting you want. Deal?"

"Deal." he agreed, placing his lips on hers once more.

Phoebe tensed against his lips, and Cole pulled back to see what was the matter.

"Are you ok?" He asked, once her eyes had reopened.

"I'm fine." she said, turning and heading to the car.

"Are you sure?"

Her sudden shortness worried him, and he caught up to her with his long strides, stepping in front of her to block the car door.

"I said, I'm fine." She repeated with more force, attempting to reach past him for the

door handle.

Cole countered, leaning against the car to block the door completely.

"Tell me what's wrong. What did you see?"

Phoebe let out a frustrated sigh, and shook her head.

"It's nothing."

This time it was Cole's turn to sigh.

"Hell it's nothing. You can't just snap at me, walk away, and tell me it's nothing."

His voice took on a harsh tone, but Phoebe remained unfazed. She was used to Cole's outbursts and knew how to handle him.

"You're right. I'm sorry. It wasn't nothing."

She placed her hands on his waist, attempting to move him aside, but he still wouldn't budge.

"Cole, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to go home."

She tried to move him once more, but she couldn't compete with his sheer size.

"That's it? You're not going to tell me what's wrong?"

Finally, she gave up and looked him in the eye.

"Why? So I can worry you?"

"I'm already worried, Dammit!" He shouted loud enough to attract the attention of passerbys. Feeling a little guilty, he softened his tone, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"What did you see?"

Phoebe took a deep breath to steady herself.

"I saw myself being attacked by a demon..."

She stopped and looked gravely at the ground.

Cole lifted her chin, encouraging her to continue. He knew there was more to the story.

"And?"

"And..and you shielded me...you were killed."

---------------------------------------------

"Cole! I can't believe you're not worried about any of this!" Phoebe yelled as she entered the manor with Cole hot on her heels.

"I am Phoebe. I just think you're blowing it out of proportion."

He managed to keep his voice level for the sake of, not only his sanity, but that of his unborn child.

"There's nothing to exaggerate. You die, plain and simple. It can't get much worse than that."

Phoebe paused, and pretended to get an idea.

"Oh, wait, yes it can. After all, we all remember what happened last time you ran into the line of fire."

"This again?" He said, his voice finally raising it's volume, "I can't believe you still blame me for what happened with The Source."

"From where I'm standing it sure as hell looks likes it was your fault. If I remember correctly, you were the one who agreed to absorb the hollow."

"Yes! To save you!" Cole screamed, storming after Phoebe who had started up the stairs.

" I didn't need saving. My sisters and I had a plan."

"And what plan was that exactly? The only with left with their powers was you, and we all know you're less than capable of defending yourself with them."

"At least I _have_ powers. How did you expect to save me from The Source? Even if you'd been successful and I'd lived, what would it have matter. You'd be dead."

"But I'm not."

Cole let out a frustrated groan.

"Why are we even talking about this? It's all in the past."

"Because I don't want it to become the present."

"If you're afraid history is going to repeat itself then..."

"Then what Cole? How can I not? Last time I had this premonition, it came true, even when I tried to stop it."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa...what is going on here?"

Both heads turned to see Piper descending the staircase towards them.

"I had a premonition." Phoebe answered curtly.

"Would you care to elaborate?"

Piper sensed her sisters was upset about what she had foreseen, but keeping it to herself would do more harm than good.

When Phoebe didn't answer, Cole took the liberty.

"She saw me get attacked by Dane."

"Killed," She sullenly corrected, "I saw you get killed."

"Dane? Wasn't he the demon you were talking about this morning?"

"Yes Piper," Phoebe sighed, "I told you he was something to worry about."

"I'm not worried, and you shouldn't be either. All we have to do is find the guy and vanquish him."

"It's not that simple Piper," She reminded her, "He's an upper level demon which means we'll need a piece of his flesh to make the vanquishing potion."

"So we bring an atheme with us when we find him, and do a little slicing and dicing, nothing we can't handle."

"Ok, first off, how do you plan on finding him? He's next in line for the throne. I'm more than positive he's going to have some sort of magical protection to keep his whereabouts secret, not to mention the bodyguards that will we be hanging around once we do find him."

"All the excuses you're coming up with, make it sound like you don't want to kill him."

"Oh course I do," Phoebe all but cried.

Her emotions were getting the best of her. Both Piper and Cole's stubbornness was clashing with her own, and she could feel the frustration accumulate inside herself.

"How could even think that Piper? You think I want Cole to die?"

Her eyes began to water as she looked desperately from her sister to her husband, searching for support. She couldn't fall apart now, not with all the work that had to be done with finding and vanquishing Dane, but she was having a harder time than usual, keeping her emotions in check. Anger, fear, confusion, and anxiety were all floating around insider her, fighting for control. Not to mention, her raging, pregnancy hormones which were full swing at the moment, and to top it all off, she could swore she sensed Piper's impudence and Cole's apprehension as well, which only helped to fuel the headache that was starting to surface.

She took another deep breath and continued, "I'm scared Piper. I'm scared of losing my husband."

She was looking to Piper for consolation, but it was Cole who came to the rescue. He joined her on the landing, and wrapped his arms tightly around her, holding her as close as he physically could.

"Shhhh," he softly comforted, burying his face in her soft, brown hair.

"It's okay baby. It's going to be alright."

He rocked her gently back and forth, and began to move an arm up and down her back, continuing to make comforting sounds.

"There's nothing to be afraid of. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

Phoebe continued to sob silently into his shirt, while he planted small kisses on the top of her head.

She had seemed to calm down a bit, so he asked, "Are you okay now?"

"Better." She truthfully admitted.

Wiping the tears from her eyes, she took a few steps back before moving closer to Cole again to lean against his side.

"Cole's right. There's nothing to be afraid of. We can take on Dane with our eyes closed. I am not going to let anything happen to Cole, or the babies. I promise."

Piper fondly placed a hand on her sister's cheek and gave her a small smile before heading down the stairs and into the kitchen.

Phoebe and Cole followed her with their eyes, and once she was out of earshot, Cole asked, "The babies? What do the babies have to do with this?"

"I think Paige was right."

"What, about her suppressing her fear?"

Phoebe nodded.

"But I also think there's more to the story. She's way too unfazed by any of this for it to be natural."

"You think she used magic?"

"Normally I would say no, I mean it is Piper after all, but this is way too weird to be anything but."

Without another word, she turned and headed up to the attic in search of some answers.

------------------------------------------------------

"I can't find anything in the book of shadows."

Phoebe looked up from the pages of the book, hoping for some reaction from Cole

He stood with his back to her, looking out the small window, reflecting.

"Cole?"

Her call interrupted his thoughts and as he turned to face her, he caught sight of something on the wall. Something had been written on it with chalk, in Piper's handwriting no less, and when he went to inspect it further, he realized it was a spell.

"Phoebe, I think you should come here and see this."

"What is it?"

"I think it's the answer to our questions."

His response left her more than curious. Quickly, she shut the book and placed it beside her on the couch before going to see what he had found.

When she saw the scribblings, she looked them over twice, unable to believe her own eyes.

"Oh no, Piper. What did you do?"

As if on cue, Piper entered holding the cordless phone.

"I just called Paige. She's on her way over."

"I thought you said we could handle this on our own. No big deal, right?"

"Right," Piper said, sitting in the seat Phoebe had occupied seconds before, "But I saw how upset you were, and I figured having the power of three wouldn't hurt..."

Her voice trailed off, and Phoebe took advantage of the dead air.

"We know you cast the fearless spell."

Piper stood, a hint of indignation in her voice.

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"Piper, you're acting like a emotionless crazy person who has no consideration for her own life."

Piper hesitated to respond, and Phoebe felt she'd struck a nerve.

"Tell me more about your premonition," Piper suddenly said, eager to change the subject, "Where was Cole attacked?"

Phoebe was reluctant to stray from the topic, but knew that arguing would get them no where.

"Actually, I was the one being attacked. Cole tried to save me. It happened here, in the attic. Surprising right?" She sarcastically added, when Piper's right brow raised in curiosity.

"Talk about Deja Vu. Well, since you seem to think we'll have no way of finding him, we'll just have to let Dane come to us."

"Wait for him to kill Cole?"

"He won't get a chance to. We won't give him one. We'll be ready as soon as he arrives. We'll wound him, he'll retaliate, and then we can make the vanquishing potion. Plus, we'll have his blood to scry with to find him again once the potion is done."

Phoebe tuned to Cole who shrugged.

"Sounds good to me."

"Ok," Phoebe said at last, "Let's get started."

-----------------------------------------------------------------

"I don't understand," Paige said, pacing the floor of the attic, "Why would Dane want to kill Cole?"

"He doesn't. He was trying to kill me."

Paige stopped her pacing and turned to face Phoebe.

"Exactly. It doesn't make sense. You yourself told me he needs us alive."

"I don't know," Phoebe sighed, "This is all too confusing. All I know, is what I saw."

"And I believe you but..."

_Ding Dong _

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked to the attic door. Piper set down the herbs she was holding and placed them on the table next to the bubbling potion. She started for the door, but Phoebe called out after her.

"Wait. What's today?"

"The sixteenth, why?" Piper said, stopping dead in her tracks.

Phoebe's eyes widened, and she buried her head in her hands.

"Oh my God. I totally forgot."

"Forgot what?"

"My interview. I had an interview today."

"I thought you already went to your interview this morning." Paige pointed out.

"Not the radio interview, Nancy O'Dell."

"At Home with Nancy O'Dell? That Nancy O'Dell?"

"Yes." She groaned, trying to imagine how things could get any worse.

"Phoebe, we can't have camera crews running around the house while we have a Demon on the loose."

"I know Paige. I know."

"Then do something. Get rid of her."

"I can't. This is a big deal. Elise will kill me if she finds out I cancelled."

"Then don't cancel. Just reschedule."

Phoebe thought for a moment, then nodded slowly in agreement.

"Could you do it for me? I'm not in the mood to deal with anything work related"

"Sure," Paige said, "What do you want me to tell them?"

"Just tell them the truth, that now's not a good time, and I'm not feeling well."

Paige nodded, and did as she was told.

Immediately, Cole ran to Phoebe's side, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"You're not feeling well? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it's no big deal. I'm a little under the weather, that's all."

She shrugged off his arm, annoyed by his protective nature.

"Are you sure? Is it the baby?"

"I'm sure, and the baby's fine. It's really nothing to worry about. I just think the stress of today is starting to get to me."

"Can I help in anyway?"

Any resentment that she had been feeling was suddenly washed away the moment she looked into Cole's loving eyes. There was no denying the sincerity in his words. His face said it all. Could she blame him for caring? It would be like blaming him for loving her.

"The best way to help is by killing Dane." She truthfully admitted, "I'll be fine once this nightmare is over."

He was about to respond when Paige strolled back in.

"Nancy's taken care of."

"Thanks Paige."

"No problem." She said, walking over to Piper who was back at the smoking cauldron.

Phoebe slowly rose, and held out her hand to Cole. When he accepted it, she froze, her eyes snapping shut, and her body tensing.

When her eyes reopened, she released her hold on his hand, stepping back warily, a look of fear in her eyes.

He could sense something wasn't right, and asked, "What? What's wrong?"

"You." She said, pointing a finger in his direction.

He started towards her, but her other hand flew up in defense.

"Just stay the hell away from me!"

"Phoebe, what's going on?"

He tried again to touch her, but she backed away and out the door.

"Don't!" She screamed, "Don't touch me. Just stay away."

"Piper," Cole pleaded, looking for any kind of support, but she knew as little as he did.

When he turned back to the doorway, Phoebe was gone, Paige had already started down the stairs, and Piper soon followed after.

"Stay here. We'll be right back." She told him, closing the door of the attic behind her.

Downstairs, all three sisters assembled in the dinning room, forming a tight knit circle. Phoebe stood with her arms folded, and Piper and Paige watched her intently.

Paige was the first to speak.

"What is it? What did you see?"

Phoebe shook her head, unable to believe what she was about to say.

"I saw Cole absorbing the Hollow."

"What?" Paige practically shrieked.

"I know. I can't believe it either," Phoebe sighed, shaking her head again, "It was one thing worrying that it might happen, but it's another thing to actually see it happen." She paused, and let out a cynical laugh.

"And here I was, thinking that Cole and I would have a second chance."

"How do you know you weren't seeing the past?" Paige suggested, "It's happened before."

"Because Cole was wearing the same clothes he has on now."

"So it happens today?"

"That would be my guess."

Paige's brow formed a crease.

"This doesn't make sense."

"Doesn't it?" Phoebe asked, her voice level rising, "Cole's betrayed me before."

"Don't think like that." Paige reprimanded, surprising herself as well as her sisters.

"How can I not? First, I get the same premonition and now this?"

"This isn't right." Piper spoke for the first time in minutes.

"Obviously."

She ignored Phoebe's comment and continued.

"None of this adds up."

"I agree." Paige said.

"Like you said before, why would Dane attack Phoebe if he needs us alive?"

"Maybe my premonition takes place after his plan's run their course and we're no longer useful." Phoebe suggested with a shrug.

"That makes sense." Piper said, "But how does Cole fit into all of this? Why would he release the hollow?"

"Maybe he doesn't." Paige said, only confusing her sisters more.

"I mean, think about it. Does Cole even have that kind of power? Isn't the hollow protected by strong magic?"

Neither Piper nor Phoebe knew how to respond, so the room fell into silence.

"I wish we knew what Dane was planning," Phoebe said at last, "This whole situation makes me uneasy."

Suddenly, Piper started for the stairs.

"Piper, where are you going?"

"To find out what Dane's up too."

-------------------------------------------------------

"I can't believe she went demon hunting." Paige said, her hands flying up in exasperation.

"We have got to do something about that fearless spell and fast."

"Fearless spell?"

"It's the reason why Piper's been acting so reckless. She cast a fearless spell to get over her parenthood paranoia."

Paige pursed her lips as if to say, "Oh," but nothing came out.

Feeling defeated, Phoebe asked, "Any ideas on where she went?"

"No, but Cole might have some."

Phoebe let out a short huff, and sent Paige a disbelieving look.

"He is the last person I want to talk to right now. At least until we confirm that he's not going to do what I think he's going to do."

"And what do think he's going to do? The Source is gone. We vanquished it when we vanquished..." Paige's voice faded as she choose her next words.

"The baby." Phoebe softly finished, "It's ok, continue."

Before continuing, Paige tried to put on a determined face as if preparing herself for what she was about to say.

"I don't know anymore than you do, but I do know that Cole is not evil."

Phoebe's face lit up in surprise. Hearing this comment from anyone, but Paige would have been remarkable enough, but despite what her instincts were telling her, she had heard it loud and clear.

"At least, not yet." Paige added, lessening the shock, "I think you should talk to him, find out what he knows. Maybe if he's warned, he can help prevent anything bad from happening. He needs to know. He deserves to know."

Phoebe nodded in agreement. As much as she hated to admit it, Paige was right.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Phoebe climbed the last few stairs to the attic door, she cleared her mind of any anger, so she could be as open as possible. She stopped on the landing and stared at the barrier before her. Hesitantly, she reached for the doorknob, and turned it slowly, pushing the door open.

Cole, who had been sitting on the old red armchair, rose to meet her as soon as she entered the room. His strides were large, and his movements brisk. His face was full of concern.

He was three short feet away when he came to a sudden halt. He could tell from her solemn expression and her guarded stance that she still didn't want him nearby.

He backed away a few more feet then asked, "Phoebe, what's going on?"

She didn't answer and avoided his gaze. She almost considered leaving.

"Come on, tell me. I deserve to know why you're upset, especially when it's because of me."

"I know." She softly replied, "That's why I came up here to talk to you. I had a premonition."

Cole didn't respond. He had figured that much, but she remained quiet, so he urged her on.

"It had to do with me."

She nodded.

"I saw you absorb the hollow."

It took a moment or two to register in his mind, but once it had, Cole's expression changed drastically. His relaxed somber features were lost in the creases of his confusion.

"How? When?"

"I don't know," She honestly answered, "But I think it happens sometime today."

Once the news had sunk in, he started to speak, stumbling over his words.

"The..The Source he's,"

"Gone. I know."

"Then...how?"

She shook her head, still avoiding his stare.

"I don't know."

After a moment or two in silence, she finally lifted her eyes to meet his, noticing the pain behind them, and for the first time she truly realized just how hurt he'd been by her actions. The only other time she'd ran away in fear from him was the day she had announced she was pregnant, the first time around; the day she found out he was The Source.

The look in his eyes said he remembered too, but there was more. Phoebe actually felt his fear, which surmised and worried her. Cole rarely felt fear.

She however, was constantly on edge, or at least it seemed that way.

"Cole, I...I'm sorry...I'm sorry for running away like that...I was scared."

"You don't have to apologize, and you don't have to be scared."

As much as she wanted to agree with him, she couldn't. She feared that she'd loose him to death, or worse, to evil, and it would be all her fault.

A sharp pang struck in his chest, as he watched her tears form, wishing with his life that he could take her pain away.

He wrapped his arms around her, and let out a sigh of relief when she didn't pull back.

"I'm just a nervous wreck today, aren't I?" She laughed between sobs.

He answered back with a question of his own.

"I don't understand. Who has the power to release The Hollow?"

"Dane."

They turned to see Piper standing in the doorway, her body covered in bruises.

Releasing herself from Cole's arms, Phoebe walked over inspect Piper's face, placing a gentle hand on one of the larger marks on her sister's cheek.

"Piper, what happened? You should call Leo and have him heal you."

"Bother him with some small scratches? It's ok, Pheebs. I think I can handle it."

"Why?"

Cole's voice distracted Phoebe who was trying to tend to Piper's wounds. Both women looked his way and reacted to him with sudden confusion.

"Does Dane release the hollow?" He said for clarification.

Piper stepped forward, relieved to be rid of Phoebe's doting.

"Like I said, with The Source gone he's not nearly as powerful. He wants to finish what The Source started."

"Kill us with our own powers."

Piper looked over her shoulder acknowledging Phoebe before turning back to Cole.

"It's a two for one special, our powers and our lives."

"Well, that answers one of our questions," Phoebe said, standing next to Piper to make herself more a part of the conversation, "But we still don't know how Cole gets the hollow."

"It doesn't matter. What matters is stopping Dane from getting it in the first place. If only we knew what his next move was we could..."

"I think I know," Phoebe cut in, glancing at both of them to make sure they were listening, "Dane's next move is killing you."

"What?"

Cole looked around himself to see if she was talking to someone else, but as expected, he found no one.

Piper was just as confused, and pointed out, "I thought we agreed that Dane was trying to kill you, not Cole."

"Yes, but now I'm not so sure. Why would Dane have tried to kill me in my premonition if he needs us alive?"

"You were the one who suggested that your premonition occurs after his plan is complete."

"Maybe...Or maybe he didn't want to kill me at all. Maybe he knew Cole would step in and try to save me."

"Why would Dane want Cole dead?"

"To weaken me."

She was speaking to Piper, but was looking at Cole, and she knew he understood what she was saying.

"It makes sense Piper. He can't steal my powers like he can yours. I'd have to attack him with them, and without any active powers..."

"So instead of physically weakening you, he'd do it emotionally." Piper finished.

"That's why he sent the Occulto's after us. He was hoping Cole would die, and I'd be left vulnerable, so he could steal your powers and kill us all."

To show she meant business, Piper folded her arms over her chest and widened her stance.

"So what do you suggest we do?"

"I'm banking on the fact that he's still after Cole which means that we have to give him some way to protect himself."

Moving to Cole's side, she placed a supportive hand on his chest and waited for him to catch on to her plan.

"The Hollow." He said, looking down to see her nod.

"You're the one who was freaking out about Cole absorbing the hollow."

"I know, but now it seems like the right thing to do. Why else would I have gotten that premonition? If we release the hollow first without Dane knowing, it will assure that he'll never get his hands on it."

Piper nodded resolutely, and started for the stairs.

"Let's go."

---------------------------------------------------------

"Is everybody ready?" Phoebe asked, double checking the candles.

"As ready as we'll ever be." Paige said, stepping cautiously into the circle next to Piper.

Piper and Cole were already in their places, so as soon as Phoebe was done, she stepped between them and pulled a piece of paper out of her back pocket.

"Leo's taken care of?"

"He's downstairs as we speak." Piper answered, allowing her sister more room.

"Good. Join hands." Phoebe instructed, taking Cole's hand, then Piper's in her own.

Paige was about to grab Piper's hand too when she noticed a flaw in the plan.

"How are we going to say the spell?"

Phoebe leaned foreward, to look in Paige's direction, and realized what she meant. With their arms locked, they couldn't hold the sheet on which the spell was written.

"Here Piper. You're in the middle, so you hold the spell." Phoebe said, handing over the piece of paper.

"Paige, hold on to Piper's wrist so she can hold the spell. Got it? Good. Ready?

At once, all three witches began to chant,

"_Magic take us safe and sound,_

_To the place that can't be found._

_Listen to the Charmed Ones' Spell,_

_And take us where the Hollow Dwells._

_Magic forces hear our plea,_

_So we might save the Power of Three._

A tiny cluster of white lights appeared at their feet, and within second the cluster had grown and risen to their waists. Soon, it engulfed them completely, and they disappeared, arriving suddenly in front of two large engraved doors, built into a red, rock wall.

Phoebe surveyed the dimly lit room, if it_ was_ a room. Apart from the large cliff in front of her, there were no kind of barriers. The darkness went on seemingly forever, creating a horizon with the stone floor, a light haze settling at their feet.

"It worked. We're here."

"Where is here?"

Paige released her hold on Piper to take a look around.

"No idea." Piper replied, releasing Phoebe to follow Paige.

Looking around again, Phoebe noticed something, or rather, the lack of something.

"Where's the hollow?"

Cole pointed to the heavy pair of doors.

"In there."

Paige and Piper rejoined them at the base of the steps, ready to unleash the hollow's power, but instead they encountered a new problem.

Paige tentatively climbed the steps to further examine the door.

"How are we going to get inside? There are no door handles."

She looked down at her sisters who merely shrugged.

"Magic would my guess." Cole said, "A power of three spell might do the trick."

Joining hands with her sisters once more, Phoebe said,

"_We call upon the Power of Three_

_To open these doors so we may see_."

Nothing happend.

She tried again.

Still, the doors remained shut.

"Maybe if we say it together?" she suggested, so they did.

This time the door opened a crack, and a few beams of bright, white light began to shine through.

They repeated the spell in unison three more times, until the doors swung open completely.

Soon after, the white lights faded, and they could see a small, brown box floating in the center of the chamber.

The Hollow.

Phoebe approached it, with heedful steps, looking over her shoulder at Cole who nodded, urging her on.

Quickly, she grabbed the box from it's invisible pedestal, and winced, waiting for a repercussion

When nothing happened, she descended the stairs back to Cole's side.

"How does it work?"

"You read the inscription on the box."

There were two spells written on the hard surface, but she knew which one to use. She remembered the other was the one to contain it.

Cole moved to stand in front of her as she began to recite the incantation.

_"Nos dico super inconcessus vox._

_Bonus quod malum_

_Ultirusque a profugus, _

_Addo is hic, addo is iam."_

The lid of the box flew open, and millions of tiny black dots swarmed through the air and into every orifice on Cole's face. He gasped as the sharp prickling pain took over his body, suffocating him.

When the burn subsided, he steadied himself with help from Phoebe, using her shoulder for support.

"You okay baby?"

He nodded, suppressing a cough.

"Let's get out of here." Phoebe said, grabbing Cole's hand.

Once everyone was in their positions, the girls recited the spell to send themselves home.

They arrived back where they had started, in the circle of candles on the attic floor.

Within seconds, they had dispersed and each settled into their usual spots in the room. Paige sat on the small step by the podium, Piper on the love seat, and Cole stood alone at the window.

Phoebe walked over to a large chest, opening it and placing the hollow's box inside. To make sure it stayed safe, she said a spell to lock the chest.

She then made her way over to Cole, and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"You ready for step two?

----------------------------------------------------------

It was dark by now, and Cole stood alone with Phoebe in the middle of the attic.

They knew that Dane would not attack at the manor when all three of the sisters were there, so Piper and Paige were stationed secretly behind the large hope chest.

Piper gave Phoebe the thumbs up, so Phoebe said a spell.

_Bring the demon to our home,_

_Let Dane think we are alone. _

"Why didn't it work."

Phoebe turned to Cole who said, "Maybe he needs to sense we're alone first, and then shimmer here on his own accord."

"Maybe I should try again."

She had opened her mouth to repeat the spell when Dane shimmered into the room.

As expected, he was wearing all black. His also black hair was slicked back and shining even in the dimly lit room. Without leaving his spot, he acknowledged Cole.

"Hello Balthazor, long time no see."

Cole replied in a menacing tone, "I'm not Balthazor anymore."

His voice lost it's hostility, and he said in an nonchalant tone, "You can call me Cole."

"I'd prefer to call you dead."

An energy ball formed in Dane's hand, and Piper screamed, "No!"

He turned to see who the intruder was, and when he saw it was Piper, he let the ball loose without a second thought, hitting her squarely in the stomach. Piper was thrown against the wall before tumbling down onto a pile of boxes.. A bruise had formed on her abdomen where the energy ball had made contact.

She lay unconscious on the floor, and when Paige tried to run to her side, Dane sent an energy ball her way, but she was too quick. She ducked just in time, and continued over to Piper, who remained motionless.

He tried again, but this time, Paige was ready.

"Energy ball!" She cried out, directing the weapon back at it's creator.

Dane dodged the assault, and it hit Cole instead, coliding with his right arm.

He grunted in pain, and Dane smiled in response.

"Oh, yes. I almost forgot what I came here for. I'll deal with you later." He said to Paige before turning back to face Cole.

"Now, where were we? Oh yes, I think I was about to kill you."

Forming a bigger energy ball then the first, he bounced it in his hands.

"If I send this straight at you, you'll probably dodge it," He said to Cole, reasoning to himself, "But if I send it straight at her..."

He threw the ball in Phoebe direction, and just as planned Cole intercepted it, stumbling forwards from the impact.

Phoebe steadied him, and helped him turn around to face a know stunned Dane.

"How are you..." He started as he tried to form another energy ball in his hand. When nothing happened, he began to panic.

"Now, where were we?" Cole asked, moving closer to his prey, "Oh yes, I think I was about to kill you."

His words weren't the only thing Cole threw back at Dane, and in rage he formed three successive energy balls, all of them hitting their target.

Dane cried out in pain, as a ring of flames engulfed him, and within seconds, he was gone.

When they all recovered from the vanquish, Phoebe ran to join Paige at Piper's side.

"Leo!" She called out, holding Piper's lifeless hand.

"Leo!"

She did not see him come in, but suddenly Leo was at Piper's side, his hands raised over her growing bruise. He was about to heal her when the wound healed itself perfectly.

The sisters didn't notice, and started giving Leo their thanks.

"Don't thank me," The whitelighter said, "I didn't do it."

"What? Then who did?"

"The baby did." Piper said, holding on to Leo's arm to sit up straight.

Both Phoebe and Paige gently hugged her when they saw she was awake.

"The baby?"

"Yes, apparently this baby is more special than we thought."

"That's good right?" Leo asked, too in awe to think straight.

"That's very good."

Leo smiled and Paige asked, "So, where are we on the fearless spell? Has all that run it's course?

"I think it's safe to say that ship has sailed." Piper said, rising to her feet, "I had a little talk with someone who assured me that an early death is not my fate."

Everyone gave her strange looks, so she said, "I'll tell you later. Right now, I think we have more important things to worry about."

Phoebe responded by retrieving the small, brown box from out of the hope chest.

Leo stared in disbelief at what Phoebe held.

"You guys used the hollow?"

"I told you we had to break a few rules." Piper said, pulling him close for a hug.

Phoebe took her place across from Cole, and this time, both of them read the incantation.

"_Iam is addo, hic is addo, _

_Malum quod bonus, _

_Vox inconcessus super dico nos_."

Just like the first time, Cole fell to his knees as the hollow was sucked from his insides. The hollow left the way it came, buzzing through the air and back into the box. As soon as she closed the lid, Phoebe let the box float away from her, and it vanished in a ray of blinding light.

-------------------------------------------------------

It was finally peaceful in Halliwell Manor, and all had gone to rest.

Phoebe and Cole lay spooned in bed, quietly enjoying each other's company.

Cole's arm was around her waist, and his hand covered her own, holding it tight.

"Are you okay?" he asked, wiping the hair from her eyes.

"Of course I'm okay." she replied, "We vanquished Dane and everyone's safe and sound. I'm even less nauseous."

She placed her hand, along with his, on her stomach and smiled, "I think junior here has decided to take a nap. I don't blame him. It's been a long day."

"So it has, but that's not what I was talking about."

Phoebe shifted in his arms, so she could better see his face.

"I'm talking about me. Are you okay with me? I mean now that I'm not human...I suppose I could strip my powers again."

She stopped him with a finger to his lips.

"No. Absolutely not. You're perfect just the way you are, and I love you with or without demonic powers."

"But I thought..." He continued, even though he was secretly pleased she had changed her mind.

"I fell in love with you when you had your powers, so I won't fall out love with you now that you have them back."

"Whatever happened to wanting a normal life?"

"We'll never be normal. I've accepted that, but that doesn't mean we can't be happy. We just have to work extra hard to make sure that we don't loose sight of what's good in life, and that we don't forget why we fell in love in the first place."

"I believe you fell in love with my sparkling eyes and dashing smile." He teased.

"That, and other things." She admitted, "Besides, it was nice for awhile, you being human I mean, but I quickly came to realize, that's just not who you are. You were born to fight, and I have to accept that. Just promise me you'll only fight for the good guys."

"Promise."

He smiled, and kissed her passionately, emitting a small moan.

"Is that rain check still valid?" She managed to say between kisses.

Cole answered with guttural groan, as he remembered their morning exchange.

She giggled as his hands found the hem of her camisole and lifted it over her head.

"I take that as a yes."

When he was done attending to his wife, he turned his attention elsewhere.

"So, what about junior?"

He looked down at her stomach, stroking it softly.

"What about him?"

"What makes you think he's a boy?"

"I don't know...a gut feeling...literally." She said, crinkling her nose. "Why, is that what you want?"

"I'll be happy either way."

He quickly kissed her check, breathing in her scent.

"As long as he or she is healthy, I'll be the happiest man in the world."

Phoebe smiled, and snuggled back against him, feeling his bare chest on her now bare back.

They fell back into silence for awhile then Cole said, "Are you sure you're okay with it? You know why the spell worked to contain the hollow. You wouldn't have said it with me if you didn't."

She thought she had convinced him that he wasn't evil, but he clearly needed more assurance, so she gladly supplied some.

"Yes, I know, but I've accepted that evil is in you. It's in your genes. We can't change that, but you can choose not to act on it, suppress it. It's not your powers that make you evil. It's how you choose to use them."

"And you trust me not to use them for evil?"

"Yes, I do."

Cole smiled and kissed her again. For although he hadn't said it directly, she had said it nonetheless, and for the first time in a long time, he knew he had her trust.

------------------------------------------------------

**Liljdpegasuschic160:** See, like I said, a nicer season 5. Most of my season 5 will be filler 'episodes' (like the real season 5 lol), but I will try my best to make them entertaining. They are important because they set the stage for my season 6 & 7 (which will be very different fromt the originals). I finally got Vol. 2 of The Book of Three in the mail, so I was able to plan and organize the upcoming chapters. I only watched season 6 when we first got, I rarely watch season seven, and I've only seen a handful of season 8 episodes, so I had to do some research. I honestly do not know whent he next chapter will be up, but I will probably update sooner than last time because the next chapter will definately be shorter, but I'm also starting the fall play soon, so no promises. Ok, well that's that, and since this chapter was so long and difficult to write, the littlest review will be appreciated (although I wouldn't complain if it were long).


	8. Chapter 8: Playing with Fire

**Liljdpegasuschic160: **How long has it been since my last update? I've been so abosrbed in school, I've lost track of time. I can't believe the first quarter's already over. Anyway, it's finished. I've been working on this on and off, but I stayed home sick today, so I was able to wrap it all up and make any neccessary changes. Like I've said, a few of these chapters aren't the most exciting things in the world, but they do help get the story moving along. The bulk of the first half of season five is based around Phoebe and Cole's deteriorating relationship and him going crazy which obviously no longer happens, so I have to invent some new storylines and hope they're interesting. You're patience will pay off. It does get better. I promise. I also hope I'm getting the right balence of all the characters. This is still first and foremost a P/C story, so I try to center around them, but there are times when I need to focus on Piper and Leo, or something that's going on with Paige to make it more realistic to the Charmed Universe. I'm trying to squeeze in as much P/C interaction that I can.

**Disclaimer: **I do NOT own Charmed and I am in NO way affiliated with The WB (CW). However, this particular chapter is based off the script for the episode 'Siren Song' written by Krista Vernoff. Some lines are taken directly from the show, and others have been changed to fit my needs. In conclusion, this chapter is mine, but the characters aren't so please don't sue.

Read, Review, & Enjoy!

**Third Time's a Charm**

Chapter 8: Playing with Fire

"Hey Piper."

The oldest Halliwell looked up from her stack of papers to see Phoebe dragging herself into the kitchen.

"Hey, nice of you to show. Don't you have work this morning?"

"Yeah," Phoebe said, taking a seat opposite Piper, "I slept in."

Piper's brow raised in curiosity. As much as Phoebe liked her sleep, she was usually very professional about getting to work on time. The exception, of course, was when their was an eminent demon threat.

Her sister was no longer the irresponsible, carefree, rebellious Phoebe of years past. She was now the married, pregnant, and employed Phoebe who had matured accordingly to fit her new role.

Prue's death had brought a lot of changes to their family, but luckily not all of them were negative. They had found Paige, rekindled the power of three, and Phoebe had taken on the challenging new role of the middle sister.

Watching her now, Piper couldn't help but be proud of how far she had come.

"Slept in, huh?"

Phoebe, who had been staring affectionately at her stomach, looked up and gave Piper a mischievous grin.

"Yeah," she said, a hint of embarrassment in her voice. "Cole and I were up late last night."

Piper nodded knowingly and observed just how tired her sister really was.

"You must have been doing all the work because he left bright and early, acting all perky."

Phoebe gave Piper a disbelieving stare.

"Well, as perky as he can get." She amended after a moment.

"Yeah, I'm not sure what it is. Normally, I can keep up with him with no problem, but last night..."

"It's probably just because your pregnant. I haven't been in the mood lately either...too nauseous." She said, patting her stomach.

"No, it's not that. Actually, it's just the opposite. I think my libido's on overdrive."

Now, she wasn't sure what Phoebe was upset about. She would give anything to have her exciting sex life back. In fact, she'd be happy to have any sex life at all.

"Well, count your blessings. Most women find sex repulsive in their first trimester."

"I wouldn't mind it all so much if I didn't have this sinking feeling that there's something more going on. I've been so emotional this past month, but I've be attributing it to the fact that I'm pregnant and my hormones are raging, but now I'm not so sure."

Piper gave her a quizzical look, so she began to elaborate.

"I know this is going to sound weird...but last night...It was almost as if I could feel Cole's attraction to me."

Piper let out a sigh of relief, reaching across the table to hold Phoebe's hand.

"Honey, that's just because your connection's getting stronger now that you're pregnant. It's natural to start feeling closer to your husband at a time like this."

"No Piper, you don't understand. I could actually _feel_ his arousal along with my own. It was so overwhelming, almost suffocating."

She could still sense Piper's confusion, so she tried her best to explain again.

"And it's not just in bed.. It's _all_ the time. I can tell when he's secretly angry with me, when he's worried, stressed, conflicted, even when he's indifferent."

"Back up a second. How long have you been having these...feelings?"

_'That's a good question.'_

Phoebe thought hard for a moment. She had never really taken the time to pinpoint when

this all began. The past few months had been a blur, with the baby, and her 'celebrity' job, it was hard to keep track of little things like this. She tried her best to remember.

"The first time it happened was when we vanquished Dane. I didn't think much about it then because it was a stressful day. Then, it stopped happening, so I forgot about completely. But now, this past week, it started happening again, and it keeps happening more and more.

Piper was about to assure her that it all stemmed from her and Cole's strong relationship and all that they'd been through, but something in the back of her mind told her differently.

Phoebe sensed Piper's doubt which sparked an idea.

"And it's not just him. It's you, and Paige, and Leo. I feel what you feel, and everyday the feelings get stronger. At first it was just a few emotions here and there, but now it's all the time."

"Maybe your pregnancy is making you more intuitive."

"If that's the case, than I give a whole new meaning to the word the word empathy."

"That's it!" Piper said, smacking a hand on the tabletop.

"What's it?"

"You're an empath!"

Phoebe's mouth fell open in shock and she recalled Prue's less than successful stint as an empath.

"What? How could I be an empath? I haven't touched any demonic shut-ins lately."

"I don't know, but doesn't it seem like the logical explanation? Why else would you be feeling everyone else's emotions? You must-"

She stopped herself, analyzing the situation once more before committing to the idea.

"You said you're feeling_ everyone's_ feelings?"

"Yes, everyone's...yours, my coworkers', even strangers. It's driving me nuts." She said, resting her elbows on the table, her head in her hands.

"Leo, just in time." Piper said.

Phoebe turned to see her brother-in-law standing in the doorway, his usual t-shirt and jeans ensemble adorning his sturdy frame.

"Just in time for what?"

"We need you to go to The Elders to see if and how Phoebe became an empath." Piper said as if it were rehearsed.

He hesitated for a moment and considered asking for details, but decided against it and obediently left.

"Well hopefully that will solve your problem."

Piper stood to fill Leo's vacant spot, sticking her head out the doorway to peek into the dining room.

"As for Paige..."

Phoebe stood too, joining her sister's side to see what she was seeing.

Nothing.

The younger witch shrugged and headed over to the cabinet, grabbing a tall glass and pouring herself some orange juice.

"What's going on with Paige?" She asked between sips.

"Nothing. That's the problem."

Piper returned to her seat at the table and began to absentmindedly leaf through the stack of papers.

"Now that she's unemployed, she's staying up later, and sleeping in til noon. I wouldn't mind it so much if she didn't try to get herself killed when she _is _awake."

"Oh, Piper. You know how Paige is. When she sets her mind on something..."

"I know...I just wish she would've chosen a better time to become wonder witch. With the babies on the way, the last thing we need is more demons in the house. Not to mention, the loss of another income. Babies don't come cheap."

"I thought you were over this baby phobia. Mom assured you that everything will be alright."

"I am, and I know. I just want what's best for my baby girl."

Phoebe leaned forward onto the island, setting her glass on the table top with a soft clink. She stayed that way for a while in silence, staring fondly at Piper.

"What makes you think it's a girl?"

"For the same reason you think yours is a boy." Piper answered, without looking up from her paperwork.

"Plus, _I _have a trip to the future to back up my suspicions."

Phoebe nodded, although Piper couldn't see.

"Well there's only one way to find out." Phoebe said, smiling.

This caught Piper's interest, and she looked up from her work.

"You can come with me when I go to get my ultrasound."

"I don't know." Piper said, "I'd have to talk to Leo about it first. I'm not sure if he wants to know, and I'm not to keen on the idea myself."

"Well, you still have two months to think about it. Talk to Leo and tell me if you change your mind."

"See, that's the problem. Leo's never around."

_'Am I missing something?' _Phoebe thought.

"He was just here."

"_Was_ is the key word."

She was missing something. Phoebe recognized the begrudging tone in her sister's voice, but could find no reason for it. From what she could tell, Piper and Leo were always so solid. Sure they had their fights, but they never went past small tiffs, and bickering. The way Piper was complaining, it made it sound like he had abandoned her.

"Piper, you're the one who sent him to check with The Elders."

"I know, but normally that's not the case. Lately, it seems like his charges take prescience over the baby and me."

Phoebe didn't know what to say. Apparently, there was more going on with Piper than she realized.

"I don't want to sound selfish." She continued, "I just want some attention from my husband. Is that too much to ask?"

"No honey it's not." Phoebe assured her, coming out from behind the island, "Talk to him about it. Tell him how you feel."

"I've tried, but every time I do he changes the subject or tells me I'm overreacting. Then, he orbs away to God knows where."

Phoebe opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, a wide eyed Paige rushed into the kitchen.

"Everyone, we have a visitor"

Instinctively, Piper had risen from her chair and was already out from behind the table, prepared to fight.

Two seconds later, a tall, scruffy man holding a large, black crossbow under his right arm skidded across the kitchen floor, coming to a halt in the middle of the circle the sisters had formed.

Before he had a chance to attack, Piper flicked her hands, but instead of causing him to explode in a burst of black specks, candy fireworks began to go off above his head.

He looked up as the sugary sweets rained down on him and created a ring around his feet. It took a moment for him to recover from the shock, but once he did he took advantage of the fact that the sisters were just as surprised as he was.

In one swift motion, he pulled out his weapon and aimed it at Piper's stomach.

Pulling the trigger, he released a jet black arrow. It stopped just short of Piper; a blue force field emerging from her stomach to deflect the attack. When it struck the barrier, it fell to the ground, and Piper let out the breath she had been holding.

Frustrated, he focused his attention elsewhere and released another arrow, this time at the youngest Charmed one.

"Arrow!" Paige said, and with a wave of her hand she diverted it back to it's original source.

As soon as the arrow had pierced the darklighter's chest, he disappeared in a flurry of black orbs. .

Piper stood staring at the fallen arrow for a few moments before directing an evil glare in Paige's direction.

"Sorry?" She said with a sheepish grin.

"Sorry?! Sorry?! Paige, how many times do I have to tell you that if you're going to hunt evil, you have to make sure-"

"That I don't bring the evil home." She finished for her, "I know, I know."

"Really? I don't think you do. Because just a second ago a darklighter was in my kitchen and it could have killed my unborn child, who, lucky for you, has the ability to protect herself. You're lucky you weren't killed yourself."

Paige looked down defeated, but Piper was just getting started.

"Why do you feel the need to do this anyway? Have you no concern for your own life? Since when have demons become higher priority than your pregnant siblings? I want you to get better at the craft, but can't you-"

Before she could finish her reprimanding, Phoebe stepped into the line of fire.

"That's enough. Paige is sorry. What we really need to be focusing on here, is what is up with your powers."

"I don't know," Piper sighed, "This is just one more thing to add to a long list of weirdness. Of course the powers that be can't let me have a normal pregnancy. It's not enough having constant nausea and chest pain, but I also experience the magical side effects."

She burped, and a small, sparkly bubble floated out of her mouth, popping in front of her face.

"See, like that."

Paige's eyes widened as she looked at Piper.

"Is that normal? Even for you?"

Piper sighed, and began to rant.

"Like I said, I don't know, and the only person who might know, spends all his time floating around in the clouds. This morning I tried to tell him about the dreams I've been having, last night it was centered around a six foot tall bunny named max who lived in the forest with all the other oversized woodland creatures, but all he says is, 'that's nice honey' or 'tell me again later' or my personal favorite, 'it's just your hormones'."

She threw her hands up in frustration, but immediately brought them down to her stomach, letting out a groan.

"Are you okay?" Phoebe said, rushing to her side.

She shook her head in response, reaching out for a chair to hold on to for support.

"I think I'm going to vomit."

Phoebe grimaced as little by little she could feel Piper's nausea combining with her own, making it hard to say, "Maybe now would be a good time to call Leo back and she what he's found out."

"About what?" Paige said, but no one answered.

Still bent forward, Piper called out, "Leo!"

When no one appeared, she slowly straightened, placed her hands on her hips, and craned her neck to the ceiling.

"Leo! You better answer me unless you want to sleep on the couch tonight."

As usual, the aggressive approach worked, and Leo orbed in behind her.

"What's happened?"

Piper turned to face him.

"Oh, just a darklighter attack, but nothing too serious. What have you found out?"

"The Elder's confirmed your suspicions." He looked at Phoebe, "Congratulations, you're an empath."

"Congratulations? Uh, Remember what happened to Prue?"

Leo smiled, expecting her response.

"Yes, but unlike Prue, you're meant to have this gift, so don't be afraid to develop it. It could really come in handy."

Phoebe gave him a half hearted nod, not fully understanding his words.

"Anything else you need to know before I go?" Leo said to Piper in particular.

She shot him a look of indignation, and snapped, "Before you go-"

"Piper's powers are screwy."

Phoebe blurted out before her sister's emotions got too out of hand.

"What? They are? Honey, why didn't you tell me?" Leo said.

Piper's features softened a little, but the anger remained in her voice.

"I've tried to tell you I've been a little off, but you never seemed to believe me."

Leo gave her a small smile in return and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"I believe you now, but you've got to figure this one out with your sisters because I have to go back up there for a little while."

"Why?" She said with a childlike whine that made Phoebe want to throw a temper tantrum.

"Because a future whitelighter was just killed in a fire, and The Elders have reason to believe that it wasn't an accident. I have to go back up and check to see what progress they've made."

Piper silently fumed while deciding whether or not to let him leave.

"Oh, alright, just go."

"Are you sure?"

"I'd go before she changes her mind." Paige chimed in.

Leo nodded and orbed out.

Once he was gone, Paige turned her attention to Phoebe.

"So, you're an empath? Why am I finding out about this now?"

"Because _I_ only found out just now. I'd suspected that something was up, but I wasn't exactly sure what it was. Now I know, but I can't say that I'm any less worried."

"Why are you worried? You always used to complain you had the worst powers, and this is your second power boost in two years." Piper said.

"I know I shouldn't be, but..." She trailed off, "I should call Elise and tell her I have to work from home today."

"Why?" Piper said.

"Because what Leo was talking about sounded serious. I'm not going to bother driving to work if I'm just going to have to drive back home the minute I get there. I want to be here to help with magical problems, especially since your powers are out of commission."

"Are you sure you want to call now?" Page asked, "We don't know when Leo will be back."

"Probably never." Piper grumbled from across the room, but she spoke too soon because Leo was now in front of her.

"You're back." Piper said, rising from her chair to meet him.

"Yeah, I told them that I couldn't stay long."

He smiled at Piper which didn't go unnoticed.

"Did The Elders find out more about the fire?" Paige asked.

"They're not sure." Leo said, "There's a siren in town, and they think she might have something to do with it."

"A siren, as in The Odyssey?

"Exactly, but I don't know too much about her except that she seduces men with song. You might want to check the book of shadows.

Paige nodded and headed for the stairs. Phoebe followed.

--------------------------------------------

They returned from the attic to find Piper and Leo waiting for them in the front hall. From Piper's stance and Leo's hard stare, Phoebe could tell they had just finished an unpleasant conversation, but both remained calm at the sight of her and Paige, patiently awaiting the news. "I've got it!" Paige exclaimed.

She was trying her best to descend the stairs without dropping the book held open in front of her. Phoebe, not paying attention, almost collided with her, but caught herself just in time.

"Great," was Piper's curt reply, "What's her M.O., other than the singing thing?"

Paige waited until she was safely down the stairs before answering.

"It says here that as a mortal she loved married men who were held blameless for their infidelities. The women of the village burned her to death and her rage turned her into a siren. The siren mesmerizes married men and calls their wives with her haunting song, then destroys the couples with the very flames that once consumed her."

"Well, that explains the fire." Piper said.

Phoebe, who was now looking over Paige's shoulder at the book, quickly scanned the entry again.

"Wait, she was tramp and got mad because the town's wives killed her? What did she expect?"

"Phoebe, now's not the best time to be questioning evil's way of thinking." Piper said as Cole materialized next to her.

Phoebe ignored Piper's comment and smiled at her husband who didn't seem to notice she was even there.

"Hey honey." Phoebe said in her sweetest voice, attempting to get his attention, "What are you doing home?"

Cole was clearly distracted, and he didn't answer right away. He scratched his head a few times, and gazed around the room. "Oh, uh...I forgot some of my research papers on the Gnewick case." he said, already beginning to search for the missing documents, "Have you seen them? They were in a manila file folder."

"No, I haven't." She said, moving to his side, "Piper was doing some paper work this morning." She looked over her shoulder. "Piper, did you find one of Cole's file folders this morning?"

Piper shook her head.

"No, sorry, not that I can recall."

"That's ok." he sighed, "I don't need it right away anyway. I can look for it when I come home tonight." He said, and gave Phoebe a quick kiss, "Why aren't you at work?"

"I told Elise I'd work from home today."

He frowned, studying her face.

"Why? Are you sick? You look ok to me."

"I'm fine, but there's a siren on the loose, so we're kind of on the alert. She's already killed a future whitelighter, and we're hoping to stop her before she kills anymore innocents."

"You're not going out to look for her are you?" Cole said in a slightly worried tone.

"That was the plan, but we're not sure how to locate her yet. Once we do, Paige and I are going to go out and get her."

Images of the fire he'd seen on the news, flashed through his mind as he put the pieces together. He realized the danger, and the very real threat.

"You can't go." He said, and Phoebe was surprised by the forcefulness behind his voice.

"What?"

"You can't go." He repeated, "How are you going to protect yourself?"

"The way I always do." She answered slowly, her brows creasing in suspicion.

"Shouldn't Piper go instead? After all, she is invincible."

"Yes, she is, but her powers aren't working properly right now and we don't want to take any chances."

"So you don't want to chance losing Piper's baby, but your willing to chance losing your own."

It was a low blow, he knew, but he couldn't stop it. The words just spilled out.

"Cole, what's gotten into you?" She asked, her volume rising as her temper began to flare.

"I just don't want anything to happen to you." He fumbled, not quite sure himself why he was overreacting, "Siren's are not to be underestimated."

"And I understand your concern, but-"

"Maybe I should go with you. My powers are more active and I can make sure that you-"

"Why can't you trust me to take care of myself?" She practically yelled, and at the same time a bright blue ball of electricity appeared in her right palm.

For a few fleeting moments, everyone just stared, wide eyed, until Piper found her voice and screeched, "What the hell is that?"

Phoebe was still at a loss for words, so Paige answered.

"It's an energy ball."

"I know it's an energy ball! But what is it doing in her hand?" She demanded, as if it were Paige's fault.

Paige threw her hands up in surrender, trying to deflect the blame. "You got me."

Phoebe, who until now, had been too freaked out to say a word, finally found enough composure to say "We'll worry about that later, right now, all I want to know is how I make it go away."

They all looked at Cole who tried quickly to form a coherent thought.

"The trigger is anger. To make it disappear you have to relax." he instructed.

Phoebe closed her eyes and took a deep breath, steadying herself, and a few seconds later, the ball collapsed.

"Great," Phoebe groaned "the last thing we need is another power malfunction. What is going on today? First, my empathy, then Piper's candy explosion, now-"

"You're an empath?" Cole asked, "Since when?"

He would have smiled if it weren't for the fact that she had conjured an energy ball moments before.

"Since this morning," She answered. "The Elders said my powers are advancing.".

"A little more than they thought I'm afraid." Piper said.

"No, her expansion of powers should have nothing to do with this," Leo said, "Empathy's not linked to energy balls. That's a demonic power."

"Unnnlesss..." Piper said.

Phoebe turned to face her.

"Unless?"

"Unless, it's not your power at all."

"Piper, what are you-" Paige began, but Phoebe cut her off, intrigued with what Piper was saying.

"If it's not my power, then who_ does _it belong to?"

Piper pointed at Phoebe's middle.

"My baby?" Phoebe said in a voice so high and strained, she barely recognized it as her own.

"Maybe. You're an empath now which means you can tap into other people's emotions, and you said yourself that the connection is the strongest with those closet to you. Who's closer to you than your baby? Maybe you empathy is allowing you to tap into his powers."

Phoebe looked to Leo.

"Is that possible?"

He shrugged, "I don't see why not."

She looked to Cole.

"Let's test it."He said, "Try to shimmer."

Phoebe closed her eyes, her face scrunching as she tried to concentrate. Suddenly, her right eye shot open.

"But what if the baby can't shimmer."

"He can shimmer." Cole stated matter-of-factly, slightly offended.

She nodded and tried again, imagining herself in the living room. When she opened her eyes, she was standing next to the couch.

"It worked!" She called out from her new location.

Soon, everyone had migrated into the living room.

Cole now wore a huge grin, and with his hands on his hips proudly stated, "That's my boy...or girl."

Phoebe laughed and Paige, who was standing next to Cole, nudged him playfully in the side.

"Well, she might not be invincible," Paige said, "But these powers have to count for something."

----------------------------------------------------------

Cole had shimmered back to his office, and Phoebe and Paige were settled back into the attic. They had unanimously decided to go after the siren, despite Cole's warnings, so they went upstairs to prepare for the vanquish.

Phoebe was sitting on the old sofa with a notepad on her lap, scribbling furiously while Paige added a dash of chickweed to the smoking cauldron.

"Done!" Phoebe announced with a grin.

She rose from her seat and walked over to Paige who was mixing the now pink potion.

"What have you got?"Paige asked, without taking her eyes off the bubbling brew.

Quickly, Phoebe handed her the paper, and waited for a reaction.

"So, do you think it will work?"

Paige returned the sheet.

"I don't see why not."

"Good," Phoebe said, "Let's go downstairs and have Piper ok it. Just in case."

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Piper and Leo were in the middle of a big argument that was getting progressively bigger.

"You have to go _again_?" Piper complained with her hands on her hips, "Don't they understand that you have a life?"

"My job is part of my life," Leo argued, "What do you want me to do? Do you want me to abandon my charges?"

"I want you to stay and help your pregnant wife." She snapped.

"And I would love to help, but this call sounds urgent and I-"

Orbs started to assemble around him, but Piper reached out and grabbed his arm, holding him back.

"Leo! Don't you dare"

Leo was about to protest when two spears of colored orbs shot out of his and Piper's backs.

"Uhh...guys?" Paige said before their quarrel could continue.

"What?!" They both shouted, whipping their heads in Paige's direction.

Even if Paige had answered, neither of them would have heard as the bright lights shot through their backs and into the other's stomach, sending both of them flying backwards onto the floor.

Piper was the first to recover. Sitting up slowly, she looked around, and rubbed a bump that was beginning form on her head.

"What the Hell was that?!"

"I'm not sure, but whatever it was, it couldn't have been good." Leo said.

He stood, and examined himself, checking for anything out of the ordinary.

"Do you feel any different?" He asked Piper, helping her to her feet.

"Not really, except that now I feel a headache coming on which will be great added to my nausea. Wait a minute...I'm not nauseous. Maybe whatever happened was good after all."'

Suddenly, Leo felt a wave of nausea come over him, and he brought a hand to his stomach, grimacing.

"No, because now _I _feel sick."

Phoebe, sensing the inevitable complications, pulled Paige to the side.

"Maybe now's not the best time to summon the siren."

"I agree, but what are we going to do about Piper in the mean time?"

"We can't help if we don't know what's going on."

"Right," Paige said, starting after Phoebe who was walking back upstairs.

When she reached the landing, she remembered Piper and Leo.

"You two go sit down in the kitchen while Phoebe and I go get the book to try and figure out what happened. Call us if more weird things start happening." She instructed.

"I'll try, but I can't promise anything." Piper said, "With all these voices shouting in my head, I don't know if I'll be able to concentrate long enough to call you."

Phoebe, who was out of sight, came rushing back into view.

"Voices? You're hearing voices?"

"It's more like chatter...annoying chatter."

Phoebe looked down at Leo, who's lips had formed a thin line. He knew something, she could tell.

"What do you know?"

"Just that _I'm_ not hearing voices anymore." He answered.

This sparked Piper's curiosity.

"Anymore?"

"That's how I hear my charges," He explained, "Their voices are in my head."

Piper wasn't sure how to respond to this new information. Part of her was angry at Leo for never sharing such an important part of his life with her, but another part sympathized with him. After all, she'd only been hearing these voices for a few minutes, and they were already driving her nuts.

"So Piper is hearing voices and you're not, and you're feeling nauseous, but Piper's not," Phoebe said, formulating an idea, "We might be on to something."

She scurried down the rest of the stairs, brushing past Paige in the process, and when she reached the bottom she stood in front of Piper, holding out her pad of paper.

"Piper, try to freeze this." She said, dropping the notebook.

Piper held out her hands, but the pad continued to fall, landing with a soft thud on the hardwood floor.

"I can't." She said, beginning to panic.

This was exactly what Phoebe had expected, but she needed more proof.

"Leo, try to orb."

All eyes were on him, and remained on him as he stayed in the room.

"Nothing." He said, after another failed attempt.

Without a word, Phoebe reached down and picked up the notepad off the floor, this time holding it out in front of Leo.

"Now Leo, try to freeze this."

"What?"

"Just try."

He sighed, but nodded, signaling her to let go of the pad. When the it left her hands, he held up his and mimicked his wife's familiar gesture. As he did, the notebook paused, suspended in midair.

"It worked." He smiled, in disbelief.

"What? Why? Why does he have my powers?" Piper said, her panic spreading.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Phoebe smiled.

"Because _someone_ thought it would be a good idea to switch your powers."

"Who has the power to do that?" Paige said from her spot on the stairs.

Phoebe thought hard for a moment, considering the possibilities. So far, all the strange occurrences had been linked to their pregnancies somehow, so she figured this was another one of those things.

"My guess is that the baby didn't like to hear mommy and daddy fighting, so she took it upon herself to help you two reconcile."

"How is this helping anything?" Piper said, "It's only making our situation worse."

"Because she's given you the chance to see each other's side of the argument. You know...walk a mile in each other's shoes."

Paige thought about was Phoebe was saying and asked, "Does that mean Leo's pregnant?"

They all turned to Leo who had turned uncharacteristically pale.

"What? No, no I am defiantly NOT pregnant," He turned to Piper, "Am I?"

"I have a way of finding out," Phoebe said, getting his attention.

She indicated a vase on the nearby table and instructed Leo to blow it up.

Concentrating hard, he steadied his hands and shattered the vase into a thousand pieces.

"What did that accomplish, other than making a mess of my floor?" Piper said, already trying to tidy up the debris.

"Leo blew up the vase," Phoebe explained, "He did not conjure candy, which means you are still the pregnant one."

Leo was now next to Piper, speaking to her stomach in a loud, slow voice.

"Baby, I understand you're trying to help, but this is a bad time."

"Did you hear daddy? This is a bad time," Piper said to her tummy, "Please switch out powers back."

"I don't think that's going to help." Paige said.

"Then, what is?"

"I think this is one of those times when you're going to have to figure it out on your own," Phoebe said, "In other words, the solution isn't magical."

Piper rolled her eyes, and mumbled, "Well that's just perfect."

---------------------------------------------

Across town, at Jack McCarter & Kline, Cole sat in his office, leafing through some files on his latest case. His mind wasn't fully on his work, and thoughts of Phoebe kept popping in and out of his head, keeping him on edge. He knew how deadly a siren could be, and since two of the Charmed Ones were married, they made for easy targets.

It wasn't that he mistrusted Phoebe or her abilities. After all, she'd been fighting demons long before she ever met him. What worried him was himself.

Their love was fatal, something he knew all too well. Their relationship was like a giant scale, and each day a weight was added to one side or another as they fought to keep everything

in balance, or at least to let the good prevail. One slip up, one mistake, and the scale could tip in Cole's direction, to the side of evil.

He realized how close they had come to doing just that; how close Phoebe had come to leaving her Charmed life behind and becoming his Queen. The thought still haunted him, making him second guess his decisions and be harder on himself.

His recent accumulation of demonic powers only added to the fire, and seeing what his child was capable of while still in the womb, scared him.

In a way, he was happy for Phoebe's power boost since it provided him with more assurance that she would be alright, but it was also a reminder of his demonic half. The one thing that he hated, but couldn't live without; the dark cloud hanging over his head.

Despite his worry, he was secretly pleased that the baby was showing this much potential at such an early age. It made it easier to cope with the idea of demons attacking 24/7.

With Phoebe's help, he knew they could raise a child in the ways of good magic. The child of a Charmed One isn't destined to be evil.

Outside, and twenty stories down, the siren was in search of her next victim.

-----------------------------------------------------

"Piper, you have to go."

"How? I don't even know where the voice is coming from." Piper said from her seat opposite Leo at the kitchen table.

"Concentrate. Relax. Single out the one voice, and follow it."

Piper closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

Leo watched her intently.

"Anything?"

She sat in silence for a few seconds more, then without opening her eyes, she said, "Got it," and orbed out.

"It looks like you two are getting the hang of your new powers." Phoebe said with a smile.

Leo smiled back, but Phoebe could tell it was a forced demeanor.

"I hope Piper realizes how important she is to these charges," He said, "They depend on their whitelighter to be there."

"She'll be fine," Phoebe assured him, "She knows how important you are to her. I'm sure she'll understand."

Leo nodded, but his expression was a solemn one.

Phoebe walked over to his side, and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Are you feeling ok?"

He shook his head, and without a word, jumped out of his seat and dashed up the stairs.

------------------------------------------------

The siren stopped on the sidewalk in front of Cole's office building.

Something had caught her eye, a large billboard overlooking the street that read 'ASK PHOEBE: She has all the answers' and next to the text was a giant picture of a young attractive brunette, who was clearly 'Ask Phoebe'.

The Siren smiled, wondering whether such a pretty woman had a man behind her success, and smirked in contempt for she knew it was the case. The question now, was who the pathetic chump was.

She began to walk again, trying not to dwell on the thought, when the conversation of two men stopped her in her tracks.

A man in a suit was saying to another, "What's been up with Turner lately? He seems a little out of sorts."

"I've noticed that too," The second man said, "His wife's pregnancy might have something to do with it."

"His wife's pregnant?" The first man asked.

"Yeah, it's their first kid."

"Well, that explains a lot."

The first man stopped, and took a sip of the coffee he was holding.

"Wait a minute. Isn't he married to that advice columnist...Ask Phoebe?"

"Yeah, believe it or not." The second man said.

"How does a smart successful guy like that end up with a newspaper advice columnist?"

The second man smiled at the first, and shook his head.

"Have you ever met her?"

"Can't say I have," The first man replied, "What's she like?"

"Let's say she's got it where it counts."

The first man smiled knowingly, and the two of them disappeared into the office building.

The siren watched them go, and smiled mischievously after them.

'_So, not only does she have a husband, but she's pregnant as well.__This could be a lot of fun.' _

With that in mind, her walk took on a new level of confidence as she strut into the building where she knew Cole would be waiting.

Cole was still sitting at his desk, reviewing case work, when his secretary's voice sounded over the intercom.

"Mr. Turner."

"Yes, Claire?"

"There's a women here to see you sir."

"What's her name?"

There was a pause.

Cole frowned, and pushed a button on the receiver.

"Claire?"

She didn't answer.

Instead, a busty brunette clad in tight leather, sauntered into the room. Her face was on of a determined woman, ready to conquer the world.

Cole immediately stood, knowing who and what she wanted.

Instinctively, he conjured an energy ball, and prepared himself to fight.

She seemed started for a moment, but for the most part she appeared unfazed.

_He's a demon, interesting. I wonder if the misses knows his little secret? No matter, it will make killing him all the more enjoyable. I always love a challenge. _

Cole raised his arm to attack her, but before he could she began to hum.

He fought it at first, realizing what she was doing, but it was useless, and the energy ball fizzled out in his hand.

Hesitantly, he moved towards her, responding to the melodic sound of her voice.

After a minute of two, he decided that she moved too slow for his liking. but the trance kept him from speeding things up. Her dominating presence, and confident strut made it clear that she was in charge.

He leaned in to kiss her, but she stopped him, placing a finger on his lips, shaking her head.

Despite his infatuation with the seductive siren, the same thought echoed in the back of his mind.

_Phoebe. _

--------------------------------------------------------

It took a while, but Phoebe finally managed to coax Leo out of the bathroom, and back downstairs.

Her new task was to find a way to _keep_ him in the kitchen.

After some rummaging through the pantry, she found what she was looking for.

She looked over at Leo, sitting at the table, and couldn't help but laugh a little. His expression was one of an abandoned dog, and his arms were folded over its chest.

It would have been more humorous, if she wasn't feeling the same way. The only difference was she more used to the nausea, and someone had to stay strong in all this chaos.

"Here," She said, handing him the saltines, "These should help."

He quietly expressed his thanks, and pulled a cracker out the box, nibbling on the corner.

"Where is Piper?" He whined, "She's been gone forever. Doesn't she understand that I need her?"

"Her charges need her too." She reminded him.

"But I'm her husband, and I need her now."

_My, how the tables have turned_. Phoebe thought, watching her over emotional brother-in-law.

"She can't be gone much longer. I'm sure she'll-"

Her sentence was brought to a halt when Piper orbed in beside her.

"Piper!" Leo smiled, practically jumping for joy.

"Hey honey," she said without so much as a glance in his direction. "Where's Paige?"

Phoebe frowned, realizing she didn't know the answer.

"I don't know, but we better find her. We were waiting for you to return before we went after the siren."

Piper headed for the dining room.

"I'll go look for her."

"No, that's ok," Phoebe said, "I'll do it."

She redirected Piper, in Leo's direction.

"You two stay here and work out your issues."

She pushed Piper back into the kitchen, and she could have swore she heard her growl, but she didn't have time to deal with her sister's marital problems. She had to find-

"Cole," she whispered under her breath.

Suddenly, she felt the urge to find him, and everything else seemed unimportant. Grabbing her keys off the table in the hall, she left the manor without so much a word to Piper as to where she was going.

When she stepped into her car, she realized she wasn't even sure where she was going, but she did know that wherever it was, Cole was there.

--------------------------------------------

Back in the kitchen, Piper let out a groan.

"This is pointless. We're getting nowhere," she said, rising from her seat, "Where is Phoebe?"

"Come on, Piper," Leo said, "We need to sort this out, or we'll never get our powers back."

She ignored him, and walked out into the dining room.

Letting out a long sigh, he stood and followed her out of the kitchen.

"Piper, let's-"

"Where are my sisters?"

Normally, Leo had a patient disposition, but Piper was starting to test his self control.

"They probably went to go look for the siren. You shouldn't worry about them. They can handle themselves. What you should be worried about it fixing our communication problem."

"We don't have a communication problem. You have a listening problem."

He scoffed.

"Is that so? If I recall correctly, you're the one who orbed out on me twice when I was about to tell you that-"

"Paige! There you are." Piper said, cutting Leo off.

"My point exactly." he said, but again she ignored him.

He sighed, and joined Piper and Paige at the bottom of stairs.

"Where have you been?" Piper asked.

"I was up in the attic," Paige said, "Have you guys seen Phoebe?"

"I was just about to ask you the same thing." Piper said.

"Uh oh. You don't think the siren got her."

"Unfortunately, I think that's our safest bet."

"Great, how are we going to find her if you doesn't have the power to sense her?" Paige said to Leo.

"I don't, but Piper does." He looked at his wife, who'd mouth was now agape.

"What? I can't sense Phoebe. It's hard enough as it is to pick out voices that are practically screaming at me. How am I supposed to find someone who's not calling for help?"

"You can do it Piper," Leo said, "I have faith in you. All you have to do is relax, sort through the voices, and focus on your bond with your sister."

She did everything Leo instructed her to, but she still couldn't discern Phoebe's voice from all of the others.

"I can't, Leo."

"Yes you can. How do you think I do it all the time?"

"I don't know. All I know is that I'm not cut out for this."

"Why don't we just cut to the chase." Paige said.

Piper turned to her.

"What do you mean?"

"If Phoebe got lured by the siren, that means that she lured Cole first, right?"

"Right." Leo said.

"So, chances are, Cole was at his office when the siren found him."

"Paige has got a point."

"Ok," Leo said, "But if she's not there, we do things my way. We can't afford to be losing time."

-------------------------------------------------------

The bell sounded, and Phoebe stepped through the elevator doors, still following the haunting song.

She reached his office, and stopped outside the door, scared of what she'd find on the other side.

Slowly, she turned the handle, and pushed the door open.

"Cole."

No one answered.

She stepped inside.

"Cole."

She gasped when all she saw his bare back, and a pair of legs wrapped around his waist.

She heard a soft chuckle, from the figure behind him, and watched as he slowly turned to face her, the siren coming into view.

"Phoebe, I-" He started to apologize, but the Siren grabbed him by the arm.

"Uh uh uh," She reprimanded, "I'm not finished with you yet."

She began to serenade him again, and pulled him into a searing kiss, and Phoebe stood helpless as she murdered Cole.

Seconds later, smoke began to rise from where their lips met. It seemed as if the siren's plan had panned out the way she had anticipated. Unfortunately for her, when she tried to kill Cole it triggered the end of the spell and Phoebe was free to take action. The moment she regained control of herself, Phoebe conjured an energy ball, and hurled it straight at the siren's back.

She let go of Cole upon impact and stumbled backwards. She looked over her shoulder at Phoebe and said in a disbelieving voice, "You're a demon too?"

"A witch actually," Phoebe smirked, "But close enough."

She threw another energy ball at the siren, this time hitting her in the chest. The siren screamed as she burst into flames and vanished.

Phoebe smiled, proud of a vanquish well done, but her smile quickly faded when she realized Cole was unconscious on the floor.

She ran and sat down next to him, pulling his upper half onto her lap.

"Cole! Cole, wake up!"

"Leo! Leo!" She screamed, until she remember that he couldn't hear her, so she called for her sister instead.

"Piper!"

On cue, Piper burst through the door.

"Right here. What do you-"

Seeing Cole, she rushed to his side, and healed him as fast as she could.

"Thank God, you're here." Phoebe said, still clutching Cole, her arms wrapped around his shoulders.

He stirred, so she relaxed her hold.

"Thanks," He coughed, when Piper had finished her healing.

He stood, helping Phoebe up as well, and grabbed his shirt and tie off the desk. Phoebe held his jacket for him as he slipped on his shirt.

Trying not to stare, Leo looked around and observed the empty room.

"I'm guessing the siren's been taken care of." He said.

"Yes," Phoebe answered, "which means the only ones left to care of are the two of you."

Cole finished doing his tie, so she helped him with his jacket, smoothing out the wrinkles in the back.

"That is, if you can handle it." Phoebe added.

"I think we can." Leo said.

Piper smiled, sliding her arm around Leo's waist. "Let's go home."

He leaned down to kiss her as they orbed out.

"How about you?" Paige said to Phoebe, "Are you ready to go?"

She looked to Cole who gave her the ok.

"I've still got work to do here, so go ahead. I'll see you tonight."

"Are you sure? Are you feeling up to it?" She asked, her arms already around his waist.

He looked down at her, kissing her forehead.

"I'm fine. I'll see you tonight. I promise."

She nodded, and joined Paige in the middle of the room, and they were about to leave when Cole said, "You could just shimmer you know."

"I could, couldn't I," Phoebe said, not having thought of it before, "That's ok. I don't want to wear the little guy out by shimmering his mom all over town."

"I guess you're right," Cole smiled, "You'll wait up for me won't you?"

"Count on it," She said, then they disappeared in the familiar swarm of lights.

----------------------------------------------------

That night, Phoebe lay in her bed, alone, re-reading her favorite novel, Sense & Sense Ability. She couldn't explain it, but being pregnant made her nostalgic and crave the familiar things in life. She'd already watched Kill it Before it Dies three times in the past week, much to Cole's annoyance, but as always he put up with whatever made her happy.

Another thing she had the tendency to do, was reflect on her marriage. She suspected it had something to with the whole concept of family that he baby was instilling in her, and the desire for a normal family life.

'_Cole and I are definately not normal, but we have it where it counts.'_

Sure, they were no Piper and Leo, although Phoebe did find out that there's more to their marriage that meets the eye, like them, she and Cole had endured a lot, but she didn't dwell on that thought too long.

Comparing Cole and Leo was risky business, even for someone so faithfully married. Sibling rivalry has a tricky way of fooling you. It always makes you think you got the short end of the stick.

Still, she had to admit, watching Piper and Leo reconcile their differences, had made her a little jealous of her sister's marriage, but the moment Cole came home, those feelings had vanished.

Her thoughts continued to trail, making it hard to concentrate on what she was reading. Just then, Cole walked back into the room wearing nothing, but a towel wrapped around his waist.

"Hey honey," He said, walking over to his dresser drawer.

"Hey."

She placed her book aside on the night stand, abandoning the Dashwoods for the time being.

"How are you feeling?" She asked.

"I'm fine. Tired, but fine."

After a few minutes, he decided on a dark green t-shirt and black boxers for his bedtime attire.

As he slipped on the shirt, Phoebe said, "Well, we got one good thing out of today's craziness."

"What's that?"

"We now know for sure that we love each other."

He smiled and grabbed his comb off the top of the dresser.

"You doubted that we did?"

"No," She said, "but just for future reference..."

"I don't need that kind of proof." He said.

"No? What kind of proof do you need?"

He ran the comb through his hair a few more times, deciding on his next move.

Then, without a word, he placed the comb back on the dresser, and crawled into bed next to her, not bothering to finish changing.

"You might want to call Elise now." he said, moving closer.

"Elise? For what?"

"To tell her you'll be late for work tomorrow."

Phoebe laughed, and pulled him in for a kiss.

That one kiss was all it took.

That one kiss kicked her empathy into high gear, and she knew she was in for another long night.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

**Liljdpegasuschic160: **I love writing about babies, don't you? I can't imagine how much fun it will be to write once the babies are actually born. I'll just have to be patient, and so will you. Now, I don't want to sound like a complainer, but it has come to my attention that my chapters are getting progressively less reviews. This makes me sad. Please, if you enjoy what you're reading, or even if you don't, stop by and tell me why. Everyone says this, (because it's true) but reviews are motivation to write. I could be cruel and decide to only update if I get so many reviews, but I'm going to trust you guys to review without incentive, so don't let me down.


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